One Night Stand
by Detective Olivia Stabler
Summary: The rules of a one night stand are clear. One night, one secret, no regrets. But what happens when one mistake changes everything? EO drama, friendship and eventually romance.
1. 1 Temptation

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter One: Temptation)_

It had been a long and shitty week at work. Too many cases and not enough happy endings had left Elliot and Olivia quite exhausted. After a not so promising Friday, the gang decided to meet up at their favorite bar to unwind and celebrate their mere survival of the week from Hell.

"Umm," Olivia mumbled as she tossed the lime peel into her shot glass and tapped the bar to signal she wanted another shot.

"How many is that?" Elliot asked as he handed her another beer.

"Four, dad. I didn't know you were keeping track."

"Aren't you a little worried about how you are going to feel in the morning?"

"Nope. I'm not on call. I'll just sleep it off. I need this. Something to help me unwind." Elliot watched as she smiled at a guy across the bar. "I might need a little of that, too."

"I am going to pretend I didn't hear that."

Olivia smiled. "Please, it has been so long since I have had se…"

Elliot placed his hand over her mouth as she grinned.

"Seriously, Liv. That is not something I need to know."

She laughed. "Sorry. But it has. Too, long. What about you?"

"I am separated from my wife. I don't think I am really supposed to be having sex right now."

"How long have you guys been separated this time?" She asked handing him a shot of tequila.

"Almost three months. And this time she had papers drawn up. She said she can't take it anymore."

"What did you do?"

"Not me, the job."

"In her defense, this job is really hard to live with. Even if you aren't married with a family at home."

"I know. And I know they deserve more. But I am not even sure I know how to do another job."

Olivia smiled at him as they raised their shot glasses together, "to balance."

"Balance?"

"Yeah. The balance of work and personal relationships."

"The balance of work and life."

She smiled again and they took their shots together. Over the next few hours they had both consumed way more alcohol than they should have.

Elliot sat at the bar and watched her dancing around to the music. At this point it was obvious to him exactly how long he had gone without sex as he kept reminding himself exactly why he was not supposed to _appreciate_ Olivia the way he so badly wanted to. Sober, he could redirect his train of thought and head off the inappropriate attraction. But here in this bar after so many shots of Patron he had lost count and at least a six pack of beer and the haze set in his eyes from the effect of the booze she looked like an angel dancing around in front of him.

Elliot tipped his head and watched as the curves of her body swayed with the music. She smoothed her hands through her hair and continued them down her body as Elliot's heart pounded so fast he wasn't sure he wasn't having a heart attack.

"Wow," he mumbled under his breath.

He couldn't help but wonder if she knew just how much she was teasing him.

* * *

_**TWO HOURS LATER….**_

Olivia's bedroom door flew open so fast it slammed back against the wall as Elliot tossed her down against the bed. She went to work on the buttons on his shirt as Elliot grasped her ass through her blue jeans.

Olivia moaned as she pushed his shirt back from his shoulders and pressed her mouth to his once more. Elliot pushed her jeans to the floor and pulled her tank top over her head. He stared at her as she stood before him in her lacy bra and matching panties.

Olivia stretched out on the bed as she arched her back and smiled up at him. She raised her finger and motioned for him to come to her. Moments later their underwear were in a pile beside the bed and he was inside her. They made love for hours, then made love again.

Each soft moan she made, made him try even harder to please her. That night Elliot touched and kissed her in every single place he had fantasized about for years. This one night was a real life fantasy for both of them.

The next morning Olivia groaned softly as she raised her hand to her forehead. Her head was killing her and she wasn't used to sleeping with a man in her bed.

Olivia climbed from the bed and went in to take a hot shower. She stood under the water until it ran cold then got out and wrapped herself in the comfort of an overstuffed towel. She walked down the hall into her bedroom and dug through her drawers to find something comfortable to wear. She slipped on a tee shirt and a pair of pajama pants, then ran a brush through her hair.

She looked into the mirror at Elliot sleeping behind her in her bed. She exhaled softly and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Elliot," she said softly.

He groaned and opened his eyes to stare at her.

"Good morning," he said with a smile.

"Good morning. It's after ten," she said pointing to the alarm clock. "Don't you get the kids today?"

"Yeah. I pick them up at one. I'd better get moving."

"Why don't you hit the shower and I will start some coffee."

"Good idea."

Half an hour later Elliot joined her in the kitchen as she sat on a barstool drinking her coffee.

"You got any eggs?"

"Eggs?" She gulped placing her hand over her stomach as it churned.

"You know, the round white ova of a chicken. Eggs."

"I cant believe you would even consider eating eggs after the two gallons of tequila we consumed last night."

"Feeling a bit hung over, are we?"

"Kind of. My head is killing me. That's it. Not too bad. How do you feel?"

"Hungry. I'll make you an omelet."

Olivia watched as he cooked them both breakfast.

"One cheese omelet with salsa. Made just for you."

"Thanks, El. But I am not sure eggs are such a great idea. I am starting to feel a little queasy."

"Eat something. You will feel better," he said handing her a bottle of water.

She took a couple of bites as they made small talk.

"This is really good, Elliot."

"Thanks," he said smiling at her from over his plate. "I told you you'd feel better. I'd better get going," he said placing his dishes in the sink. "Liv, about last night. It was really amazing."

She smiled at him. "I was there, remember."

"Oh, I remember. I just think that maybe…"

"This doesn't have to be strange, Elliot. I have don't do this often, but I understand the rules of a one night stand."

"But it isn't every day you have a one night stand with your best friend."

"It was hot. It was something we have both wanted for a long time, Elliot. But it was just sex. We're adults, we can handle this."

"So we're okay?"

"Yeah. I don't see how it is any different than if we had picked up anyone else from that bar last night and gone home with them. Right?"

"True. I guess I didn't really think of it that way. So, we're okay then?"

"Yes. We are fine."

"Good," he said as he hugged her. "So, I will see you on Monday then?"

"Yeah. Enjoy your time with the kids."

Olivia waved at him as he walked to the elevator and they tried to make the best of an awkward situation. She closed the apartment door behind her as she leaned against it and smiled as it finally sunk in that last night was real. Olivia took another bottle of water from the kitchen and headed back to her bedroom to sleep off her hangover headache.


	2. 2 Sacrifice

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Two: Sacrifice)_

_**TWO MONTHS LATER….**_

"Hey," Elliot said as she sat down at the table in front of him.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she opened the menu and began to study the pictures. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Liv, it's your birthday. I wanted to take my friend out for dinner on her birthday. What makes you think I brought you here to talk about anything in particular?"

"That is the only time you want to meet me for dinner."

"Not true, we eat together all of the time."

"Lunch. We have lunch. When was the last time we went out to dinner together?"

"It's been a while, yes."

"The first time you and Kathy separated. You needed someone to talk to about it and didn't want to eat alone. Not that I blame you, I'm just saying."

"Okay, you have made your point."

"So, there is something?" She asked looking at him.

"Yes. But this dinner is also about your birthday. Let's order."

They ordered their food and made small talk as the waiter brought them their drinks.

"So… what is going on, El? You're making me nervous. Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm alright."

"Are the kids okay?"

"Kids are fine."

Olivia raised her eyes to look at him. "Kathy?"

Elliot shifted his eyes away from her. For some reason he didn't want to look into her eyes while he talked about his soon to be ex-wife.

"Kathy is alright."

"This is about her? El, what is going on? What, did you get the papers?"

"No." He looked back up at her. "Kathy and I have been talking and I think that we are going to…."

"You're going back to her?" Olivia knew she really had no right to feel disappointed, seeing as she and Elliot had no romantic relationship what so ever. But that didn't stop her heart from dropping when she saw him nod.

"We're gonna give it another shot."

"How many more shots are you going to give it, Elliot?"

He raised his eyes and just stared at her.

"I'm sorry. That was out of line. I just…" she exhaled heavily. "Every time you separate, you are heartbroken. Then she comes to you a few weeks later and talks you into coming back home for another try, only to tell you that she wants a divorce. She files the papers and now she wants to give it another shot? It just frustrated the hell out of me that she toys with your emotions like that. It isn't right, Elliot. She is just keeping you."

"I know."

"Then why are you letting her walk all over you like this again? Do you honestly believe that things have changed and it will work out this time?" She asked trying hard to be understanding and mask the fact that she would just like to bitch slap Kathy for continuously hurting her best friend.

"I think so. Yes."

"Good. I hope that you are right. If this is really what you want, I hope that it works out for you."

"Thank you, Liv."

She smiled and took a bite of her salad.

"I guess I am just a little confused. Two weeks ago you got a call from her attorney wanting to meet with you about arranging a custody agreement. And today the divorce is off? What makes this time so different?"

"About three months ago, I stopped by one night after work to check on the kids. We had this horrible case and I just needed to see my children. Kathy and I talked and I ended up spending the weekend at home with her and the kids. It was only a few days and then we were right back to fighting."

"On again, off again?"

Elliot stared into her eyes.

"Olivia, Kathy is pregnant."

She took a deep breath and a drink of her iced tea.

"So am I."

"What?"

"Yeah, umm, I found out yesterday. I honestly forgot all about my birthday until you just said it a while ago. I accepted your invitation to dinner to tell you that I am…uhh, going to have a baby."

"I'm sorry. You mean from us? That night?"

"Yes. We didn't use a condom, any of those times."

"But you said that you were on the pill."

"I am. I was. Until yesterday. Apparently we should have used a condom, too."

"Your about eight weeks, so the baby would be due around….July?"

"The second week of August."

"Right, because it is actually over nine months. Kathy is just over three months, In those few days back at home I managed to get her pregnant again. She is due July second."

She stared at him for a moment.

"El, I don't expect anything of you. And I don't even really want anything from you, money or anything. I just thought you had a right to know. I am not sure how you want to handle this, but I am having the baby. I have always wanted a baby and now I am pregnant. Be careful what you wish for, huh?"

She watched as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that he was now fathering two children from two different women just over a month apart.

"Elliot, how ever you choose to approach this is okay with me. No one even has to know the baby is yours if you don't want them to. You can be the father or you can just be his or her…. I don't know, uncle or something. That's alright, too. I will understand."

"This is definitely not something I ever thought would happen."

"I guess it is a little awkward."

"I just got things ironed out with Kathy. I just started staying at home again. I want to do the right thing here, Olivia. But it doesn't seem to matter which way I turn I am wronging someone."

"Elliot, you are not wronging me. It isn't like we were ever together in the first place. We had a one night stand and that one night resulted in pregnancy. You didn't cheat on me _or_ Kathy, for that matter, so there is nothing to feel guilty for. We agreed when we parted the next morning that this was a one time event. We both understood that."

"I just don't know what to do to make this right, Liv. Kathy is having my fifth child. But I am this baby's father too. What kind of father am I if I help keep this child's paternity a secret?"

"What do you think will happen if you tell Kathy about this baby?"

"I know what will happen."

"She will freak out and the reconciliation will be off?"

"And the divorce will be back on. To say the least."

"But you didn't cheat on her. The two of you were not together because she kicked you out."

"I know, but in her mind it is not going to matter."

"Okay, so lets assume you did tell her and things were off with the two of you. Then what?"

"I don't know. I would help out with this baby as much as I can and go back to seeing my other kids on weekends."

"Right. Elliot, we never had a relationship. And even if you and Kathy were not together, you and I would still not be in a relationship."

"I don't see your point."

"My point is that it is not worth you risking your time with your other kids to tell Kathy that this baby is yours. I am not going to keep you from seeing this baby, you know that. But she will jerk you around about seeing the other kids, especially the new baby. I think if you really want to give your relationship with her a fresh start and a real shot….then you can't tell her you are the father of my baby. At least until you are really sure of how things are going to work out between the two of you."

"That is shitty."

"It is. But that is how it has to be or she will try to fight you over the kids." Olivia stared at him for a moment. "You know I'm right."

"Yeah, I do." He exhaled and took a drink of scotch. "But I want to be a part of this pregnancy and this baby's life. This is my son or daughter. And if you ever need anything…."

Olivia smoothed her hands over her face and nodded her head.

"Liv, this baby is good news. I know things are crazy right now and this entire situation is a bit unconventional, but this is a wonderful thing. I'm excited."

"Really?"

"Of course. For me and for you. You are going to be a wonderful mother."

"You think so?"

"Yes. I do."

Olivia smiled and placed her hand against her stomach.

"I knew this pregnancy would probably complicate things for you. But I am so glad that you are happy about the baby."

"We'll work it out. It will all work out over time."

"But for now, I don't think that we should tell anyone that you are the baby's father."

"What are you going to tell them? It isn't like you were dating anyone."

"So, I will tell them the truth. I had a one night stand and I got pregnant. It is the truth."

"Congratulations, by the way. You are finally going to be a mommy. Hell of a birthday gift, huh?"

"The best gift I have ever received. And congratulations to you, too."

Elliot raised his rock glass in a toast. "To new life and good surprises. And to your birthday!"

Olivia smiled and raised her glass of tea to click it gently against his and then took a drink.

"So," she began, "we are _both _having babies."


	3. 3 Support

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Three: Support)_

Olivia dragged her fingertip along the rail of a baby bed in a display set up.

"That one is nice," Elliot said as he looked at the matching changing table and rocking chair.

"It's beautiful. But it is quite a bit out of my price range," she replied tilting the price tag so that he could read it. "This one over her is nice, too."

"It is, but it isn't the one you want. Liv, we have been walking around this store for an hour and keep finding our way back to this same exact spot. This is the one you want."

"Obviously what I want and what I should have are two different things," she said looking over her shoulder at him.

Elliot looked into her eyes and knew it was not only the crib she was talking about.

"What do you want?" He asked softly, fidgeting with the tag in his hand. "All of this is going on and you are kind of stuck here in the middle and it seems like all of the decisions have just been made. Made without anyone even asking you….what do you want, Olivia?"

She sighed and resisted his invitation to pour her heart out.

"I just want a healthy baby. And to be the best mother that I can be, better than my mother. I want to provide a happy life for my child….The obvious, same things most pregnant women want."

"But do you really want to do this all alone?"

"This was not initially the way I saw my self bringing a child into this world, no. But I love this baby. I know I can do it, there is no doubt in my mind. So if you are worried about that, you shouldn't. Over the last five months this little being inside here has become my entire world."

"Hypothetically, if things were different….if Kathy and I had not gotten back together and she wasn't pregnant, too….could you see us raising a baby together?"

Olivia stared into his eyes for a moment then shied away from him.

"No," she said softly.

"No? What do you mean, no?"

"I mean, that is not what either of us wants. Hypothetically or realistically. And if your heart isn't in it….we would only make each other miserable. Trust me, it's better this way," she said forcing a smile and lying through her teeth.

"I guess so," Elliot said as they began another lap around the nursery display area. "I just want to do the right thing here. I care about you, Olivia. You are my best friend and I love you. But she is still my wife….this week, anyway. It just feels like no matter what decision I make, it is the wrong one. Like no matter what I do, someone gets hurt, someone gets cheated. And either way, one of those someone's is my unborn child."

"We were irresponsible, Elliot. We acted like children and made a stupid decision when we…." she paused for a moment and looked around the room at the other happy couples. "Well, you know what we did. My point is that if we had been thinking…."

"We would have used a condom and you never would have gotten pregnant," Elliot said placing his hand against her belly.

"I don't regret this. I don't think this baby was a mistake. I don't see how anything so wonderful could ever be a mistake. But I am not proud of the situation I allowed myself to get into. I was irresponsible and I really screwed things up for my child from the start. Where I screwed up was sleeping with a man who was still involved with someone else. Even if it was supposed to be a one night stand. One of those things you have to learn the hard way, I guess."

"But nothing about starting a family should have to be done the hard way."

"Look, none of that even matters now. Nothing matters, but this baby. And all I can give him or her, is my best."

Elliot looked up as they stood in front of the same crib once more. He studied the dark finish for a few moments then looked back at her.

"This is it," he said. "This is the one you want. It is perfect. The entire set is beautiful."

"Elliot, I already told you…"

"Why don't you let me buy it for you? For our baby?"

"Right. Okay. And how are you going to explain to your wife that you bought a seven hundred dollar crib for my baby, when she is using the same crib she has used for all of the other kids?"

"It's a baby gift. Besides, I offered to buy Kathy a new crib and she wants to use the same one we had with the other kids. Let me help, Liv. This is my kid, too. I should at least help you make sure he gets everything he needs."

"Somehow, I don't think he _needs_ a seven hundred dollar crib. I love by the way, how you slip that _he_ in there."

Elliot gave her a smirk.

"You should be able to find out the sex soon. Kathy has known for a while that she is having a boy. You are almost six months, they should be able to tell by now."

"They could…if I wanted them to."

"You don't want to know?"

"Maybe I am a little old fashioned. I just think that waiting to learn the sex of the baby is half the fun. I want it to be a surprise."

"I guess that makes sense."

Olivia laughed.

"Listen El, I have been meaning to ask you…." she drew a deep breath and looked into his eyes as she smoothed her hand over her belly. "My doctor said that now is a good time to work on my birth plan. You know, figure out the details of what I want to go on when it comes time for delivery. That way if something should happen that I deliver before my due date, we already know what we want to go on."

"Yeah."

"I was thinking, I mean if you want to….since you are this baby's father….if you would like to…."

"Liv, spit it out," he said with a smile.

"Would you like to go in with me when the baby is born? I completely understand if you don't, I just wanted to make sure and offer. And since you are my best friend and I don't really have anyone else, I guess I was kind of hoping that….."

"Yes."

"What?" She asked as her eyes locked on his.

"I said yes. I would love to. Infact, I am so happy that you would even ask."

"What about Kathy?"

"Liv, we're friends. Best friends. She understands that."

Olivia nodded her head slowly.

"I know. And You are this baby's father. But Elliot, even if you weren't the father. If this baby belonged to some stranger I picked up in a bar for a one night stand….I would still ask you to be there with me when it was born. I don't have any real family. I have you. You are my family. You and the guys from work. But out of everyone in the entire world, there is only one person I would want right there beside me when I bring my child into this world. My best friend."

Elliot brushed his fingers across her forehead as he kissed it tenderly.

"I would be honored." he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, holding her for a moment or two before he released her. "And I want to buy this crib. For my best friend and for our baby. This is what you want. And what I want is to help you provide for our child."

"But Ka…."

"I don't care about Kathy," he said cutting her off.

Olivia stared at him wishing so badly the words he spoke were true.

"I don't know what to say."

"Say, thank you."

"Thank you," she said with a soft smile.

"I'm gonna go find the sales guy and arrange for delivery, then we still have some time to grab lunch before we have to get back to work.

"Well, while you are working out the details with the sales guy, I am going to use the ladies room again."

"Okay," Elliot laughed as he kissed her forehead once more. I'll meet you at the register.

A week later Olivia was relaxing on the sofa watching an old movie and crying for no apparent reason when her someone boxed her apartment.

"Who's there?" She asked wiping her eyes with a tissue.

"This is Carl, ma'am. I have a delivery for a Miss Olivia Benson, from Brandyl's Furniture."

"Oh, yes. The crib. Come on up."

A few minutes later the man rang her door bell. Olivia opened the door and greeted him as he and another man carried the large box inside.

"Where would you like it set up, ma'am?"

"Down the hall, second door on the left," she said as she turned to close the door.

It wasn't until then that she noticed two more men with another large box following Carl and his partner down the hall to the nursery.

"How many boxes does this crib come in?" She asked in confusion.

"Oh, just one," Carl replied. "That is the changing table. The dresser and rocking chair are still in the truck."

"Wait, there must be some kind of mistake. I only ordered the crib."

Carl picked up his clip board to double check his shipping receipts.

"Well, ma'am, I show right here an order for the Kennedy collection. Not just the crib. The collection is all four pieces."

"Oh, this is wrong, I'm so sorry. Was his card charged for this?"

"Yes, ma'am. I have the receipts right here. Both signatures match."

"Wait, receipts?"

"Yes. I have them both right here."

"Both? And both are signed?"

"Yes. Would you like to take a look?" Carl tipped the clip board for Olivia to see the signatures.

"Those are both Elliot's signatures."

"I hope so ma'am. Would you like us to call to verify the purchase?"

"No, I'll call him. Can you give me just a minute."

"Sure."

Olivia opened her cell phone and dialed Elliot's phone number.

"El?"

"Hey, what's up?"

"Well, the guys are here to deliver the crib and there seems to be a mistake with the order."

"They didn't bring the crib?"

"Oh, they brought it. And the dresser and the changing table and the rocking chair. Somehow this all got mixed up and you were charged for the entire collection. I'm really sorry about this."

Elliot laughed.

"Olivia don't be sorry. You received the entire collection, because I ordered the entire collection. I went back that afternoon and asked them to add the rest of the furniture to the order. You were supposed to receive all four pieces."

"El…"

"Don't argue. It is a gift. And trust me, I have had enough kids to know you are going to need all of that furniture."

"Elliot, you don't have the money for this either. You are about to have another baby."

"Yes, I am. Two of them. And I intend to provide for them both. Don't worry about the money. I sublet my apartment and the guy gave me the first couple of months rent upfront. I couldn't think of any better purpose for that money than helping to take care of my child."

"This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Elliot, thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

She hung up the phone and nodded to Carl.

"Everything alright?" He asked.

"Everything is fine," she replied. "He said he went back in and ordered the rest of the collection.

"So, we're good?"

"Yeah, we're really good."

Olivia couldn't help but smile as the baby kicked around inside her. She leaned against the doorway with her hand on her belly and watched as the men put together the new nursery for her baby.


	4. 4 Over Protected

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Four: Over Protected)_

"Elliot isn't here today?" Munch asked as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

"No," Olivia answered as she turned around in her chair to look at him. "Kathy had her baby last night."

"She did? Everything go alright?"

"Yeah. Eight pound two ounce, healthy little boy. Elliot Stabler, Junior."

"I bet he is one proud papa," Cragen said as he placed a stack of files on Olivia's desk.

"He is," she agreed pulling up the picture Elliot sent her of the baby boy on her cell phone to show them.

"Handsome little man," Cragen said looking down at the picture.

"Just think Liv, it wont be long and you will have one of those," Munch said smiling at her.

"I still have almost two months to go, Munch."

"Did you ever find out the sex of your baby?" Fin asked.

"No, I decided to wait until I have the baby to find out."

"The good old fashioned way," Munch said patting her on the back.

"I bet you can't wait," Fin said sitting down at Elliot's chair across from her to help her with some paperwork.

"Yeah, I'm excited."

"You nervous?"

"A little. Anxious. Can't wait to get past the delivery part and finally get to hold my baby. And it will be nice to get off desk duty."

"Meanwhile," Munch said with a sarcastic smile as he dropped another stack of files onto the edge of her desk.

"Thanks, Munch."

Fin took half the stack of files and returned to his desk across the room.

"Liv," Munch asked looking around him to make sure no one could hear them.

"What's up?"

"Forgive me for intruding, but I was just wondering…..have you talked to the baby's father?"

"About what?"

"About the fact that he is about to have a kid."

"He isn't about to have a kid Munch, I am."

She just stared into his eyes.

"Did you tell him about the baby?"

"Munch, it was a drunken night and he followed me home from the bar. What makes you think he would want to know about the baby?"

"If I was going to be a father….no matter what the circumstances, I would want to know. He deserves to know, don't you think? I mean, it is the right thing to do."

Olivia took a deep breath and looked at him again.

"I told him I was pregnant, shortly after I found out. It was the right thing."

"And he isn't here with you?"

Olivia smiled as she smoothed her hands over her abdomen.

"That would require him to leave his wife and other children," she replied only half ashamed of her situation.

"Still, he should be here. He should help you."

"This baby is my dream John, not his. Really, I am fine."

"You know you have our support, all of us. For you and this baby, any of us…we would do anything. If you ever need anything…. I hope I didn't offend you."

"No, you were concerned. I understand that. But you don't have to worry. We are going to be just fine," she said feeling the baby move inside her.

* * *

_**FIVE WEEKS LATER…..**_

Olivia stared blankly ahead as she chewed on the cap to her ink pen. She jumped, slightly startled when her cell phone rang. Olivia picked up the phone and smiled when she recognized Elliot's ring tone.

"Benson," she said and he could hear the smile as it crossed her face.

"Hey, Liv."

"How's the baby?"

"He's good. Colicky and doesn't sleep more than an hour at a time, but good. Maybe I'm getting too old for this baby thing."

"Well, then maybe you should slow down on the making the baby part," she joked.

"No doubt. I really out did myself this time, didn't I?"

"You are going to do just fine, Elliot. You have had plenty of practice."

"I know. I could change a diaper blindfolded."

"Hey, how's the vacation going?"

"Well, Eli cried the entire seventeen hour trip to Orlando. Disney World was hot, overcrowded and the lines were ridiculously long. And Kathy's mother is driving me insane."

Olivia laughed.

"Sounds like you are really enjoying your family vacation."

"Oh, yeah. Look I am sorry that I have not checked in with you."

"Why would you? You are with your wife and kids in Florida." Olivia tipped her head to her right side to hold the phone against her shoulder as she typed up a report for Cragen.

"You know why. I hate being away this close to….time. I just worry a little and the cell service here sucks. Her mother actually lives about an hour outside Orlando and only one cell phone company gets service out here. Not my company, of course. I just wanted to check in."

Olivia smiled again. This little secret between them had been tough to keep at times, but made her feel good to know that Elliot worried about her enough to call from his vacation to check on her and the baby.

"You don't have to worry. I am fine. The baby it fine. I had my appointment yesterday and listened to the heartbeat again."

"Sounds good?"

"Sounds amazing."

"Did they do an ultrasound?"

"Umm, no. My doctor says that unless there are complications they normally only do two ultrasounds before delivery. I have had a perfectly healthy pregnancy, so they probably wont do another one. The next time we see this baby will probably in the delivery room."

"I'm happy to hear everything is okay."

"Everything is fine."

"Good. Listen, I have to go. I am at the mall with the girls and Kathleen has disappeared with my credit card, I should find her before she maxes it out."

Olivia laughed again.

"Alright, I will see you in a week."

"Nine days."

"Okay, nine days. Have fun and try to relax and enjoy your vacation"

"Bye, Liv."

"Bye, El."

Olivia couldn't help but smile as she closed her phone. Even while he was away on his family vacation, Elliot thought about her and the baby. She smiled as she placed her hand against her belly and felt the baby kicking inside.

"That was your daddy," she whispered softly.

That afternoon as Olivia had lunch with John Munch, his cell phone rang. She stirred her fork around in her salad as she pretended not to pay attention to his phone call. Minutes later he closed his phone and picked up his soda glass.

"Do you think you could take a cab back to the precinct?" He asked handing her a twenty dollar bill to cover the fare. "Fin is going to be in court the rest of the afternoon and Cragen wants me to go and interview the brother and see if we can get any information on our suspect."

She leaned forward and placed her chin against her hand as she batted her eyes at him.

"No," Munch replied ignoring her puppy dog stare. "No. Absolutely not."

"What?"

"No way in Hell."

"What? Look, it is just a questioning. He isn't even the suspect. You are interviewing him _about_ the suspect. The guy isn't violent or anything."

"We don't know that. We don't know anything about this guy. You are eight months pregnant, Olivia. It isn't safe."

"Munch, please. I have been stuck behind that desk for months now. Months. Could you imagine not being able to do anything but paperwork and filing for months? I feel like I am gonna go insane. All I am asking is for you to do me a huge favor and let me tag along and ask a guy a couple of questions. You will be right there beside me the whole time. You so much as get a bad feeling and we're out. Cross my heart."

"You are going to get me suspended. More than suspended, if Cragen finds out that I took you along with me I will lose my job. And I could never forgive myself if anything should ever happen to you or this baby. So, no."

"John, nothing is going to happen to me if you are standing right there."

"No."

"John, please?"

"Not an option."

"Okay, what if you brought him in for questioning? Would you let me help then? If we were on our own turf, in the middle of a police station with dozens of cops standing around? The guy wouldn't dare try anything."

"Olivia…."

"John, I never ask you for anything. Never. I am going stir crazy, here. I am a cop. But for the past few months I have been more like a secretary. All I am asking is that you let me do a little cop work. If you think it is getting too heated, you give me the signal and I will leave the room, no questions asked."

Munch stared at her as she pleaded with her big brown eyes.

"I'm uncomfortable with the situation and you leave the room, no questions asked? Promise?"

"Cross my heart."

"Alright."

"Yes!"

"But, you take a cab back to the precinct and let me go pick this guy up alone. I want the absolute minimal risk here."

"Okay," Olivia smiled as the waiter laid the check on the table.

"And you owe me big time."

"Yes, I do."

"Cragen and Elliot are both going to kill me if they find out I let you go in there."

"The only way they are going to find out, is if you tell them," she replied

Munch laughed as he smiled at her.

"You know, if this kid is a boy you could always name him after me. That would be a great thanks."

Olivia smiled back at him.

"Maybe not this one."

"I am not trying to ruin your fun here, Liv. I just really want to know that you and this baby are safe."

Olivia smiled again.

"I know. And I really appreciate everything that all of you have done to protect us, it is really sweet for you all to look out for me like this."


	5. 5 No More Secrets, No More Lies

_**I don't usually post two chapters for the same story in the same day. I was going to write it tonight and wait to post it until tomorrow, but a friend of mine really wanted it tonight. So you guys can thank Kelly for this one! ;0) ~ Detective Olivia Stabler ~**_

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Five: No More Secrets, No More Lies.)_

Olivia sat at the table in the interrogation room, her belly almost completely disguised by the table in front of her. She took notes as Munch questioned the man about their suspect, injecting a question here and there. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until Munch asked the wrong question.

He had explained to the man that his brother was accused of raping and murdering a nine year old girl. A girl who wasn't even able to be identified until moments earlier. A girl, who turned out to be this man's own child.

Olivia's breath caught in her throat as she read the note with the girl's identity, just before she passed it to Munch. He looked worriedly at her then at the door, but she ignored the gesture.

She watched as Munch broke the news to the man. He shook his head in disbelief as tears rolled down his face and he began to break down in front of them. Munch looked to her once more nodding his head toward the door, but Olivia didn't budge.

"Mr. Gherrett, I am very sorry for your loss," Olivia said softly reaching to place her hand against his.

He jerked his hand away from her and glared at her across the table.

"Don't you dare sit there and pretend that you know me. That you know my daughter or what she went through. My brother raped and murdered my child…."

Maybe it was her maternal instinct kicking in on hormonal overload, but Olivia couldn't help but try and comfort him.

"I am so sorry," she almost whispered.

"No you're not!" he shouted as he stood up and lunged toward her.

Olivia stood from her chair jumping backward as Munch tried to control the man. Before he could get the situation under control the man picked up a chair and threw it toward Olivia. In trying to get out of the way, she turned her belly toward the wall in an attempt to protect her baby. As she did, the chair hit the wall above her and busted into pieces, part of it hitting her in the back of the head.

Other detectives rushed into the room to get take the man into custody as Munch rushed to Olivia's side. She was crouched in the floor with one arm defensively over her belly and the other shrouding her face.

"Liv? Oh my God, Olivia are you okay?"

She groaned a little and looked up at him.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," she said as she watched the other detectives lead the man from the room.

"You're bleeding," Munch said as be inspected the bump on her head.

"No. I'm good. I'm okay."

"I'm not buying. Let's get you checked out."

"John, really I am fine. It is just a bump on the head. All I could think was to keep it from hitting my belly. The baby is fine, I am fine."

"I never should have agreed to let you in here. I am so sorry. Lets get you to the hospital and get you checked out."

"Munch…"

"For the baby, just to make sure everything is okay."

"Okay," she finally agreed as he helped her up.

* * *

_**NINE DAYS LATER…**_

Elliot carried the last of the bags in from the car. He was exhausted after the long drive back and ready to take a hot shower and get some rest.

"Dad, mom said we could just order pizza for dinner tonight. Can I have some money to pay the delivery guy?" Elizabeth asked.

Elliot pulled out his wallet and handed her a couple of twenty dollar bills.

"Tell mom I'm gonna grab a quick shower, then take a nap."

"Okay."

Elliot watched as she disappeared down the hallway.

He pulled some clean clothes from his suitcase and moved to the bathroom. After his shower Elliot moved back to the bedroom to get dressed. He turned his cell phone on for the first time in a week. He dried off and put his clothes on then unpacked his things from the trip.

Elliot picked up his cell phone to see that he had seven missed calls while he was on vacation. He checked his voicemail and listened to a message from Olivia asking him to call her as soon as he made it back to town.

He exhaled and dialed Olivia's call phone number, but it went straight to voicemail. He slipped on his shoes and headed to work to talk to her.

"Elliot, where are you going? We are about to sit down to dinner. The girls made a salad and the pizza will be here any minute?" Kathy asked as she laid Eli down for a nap.

"I got a message from Liv to call her when I got back. I can't reach her and I want to check on her."

Kathy just stared at him as she poured milk for the kids to go with their dinner.

"She is a grown woman, Elliot."

"She is also eight months pregnant and alone. I just want to check on her and make sure everything is okay. I'll pick up my messages from work and talk to her, I'll be back in a few hours."

Elliot picked up his car keys and walked toward the door.

"Can you at least pretend to be half as worried about your own family as you obviously are about Olivia and her baby?"

"Kathy, she is all alone in this. She doesn't have a boyfriend or husband to help her out. All she has is me, her best friend and the people from work to help her out. I just spent almost two weeks doing nothing but spending time with you and the kids. I need a couple of hours to go and make sure that my friend is okay. So just back off a little, because you are making it hard to even breathe."

Kathy stared at him in frustration as she watched Elliot walk out the door.

Elliot dialed Olivia's call phone number once again as he drove toward Manhattan, but he got no answer. Half an hour later he walked into the precinct. John Munch sat at his desk working at his computer and Fin and Cragen were in the office discussing the details of a case.

Elliot made his way to his desk and checked his voicemail scribbling down a few notes. He flipped through some messages and hung up the phone.

"Munch, you seen Olivia? She tried to call me several times and left a message for me to call her, but her phone must be turned off. Is she in court or something?"

"No Elliot, Olivia is on maternity leave. She didn't call you?"

Elliot jumped to his feet and grabbed his keys from the desk in front of him.

"She had the baby?" He mumbled as he quickly made his way to the elevator.

* * *

Olivia was asleep on the sofa beside the bassinette when she heard the buzz of the doorbell. She groaned a little as she sat up and peeked into the bassinette before making her way to the door.

"Elliot, hey."

"Hey," he said standing before her with a dozen roses and a teddy bear.

"Come on in," she said with a yawn.

Elliot walked in and kissed her forehead as he handed her the roses.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"I tried to call. I called your cell and the house phone, but couldn't get an answer."

"We were sleeping. I turned them off. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"It's okay now. Munch told me you were on maternity leave. I rushed out so fast I forgot to ask him if the baby was a boy or a girl," he said looking at the pink blanket draped over the end of the bassinette. "Pink," he replied pointing to it. "It's a girl?"

The baby began to grunt a little bit and whimper. Olivia smiled as she walked across the room and leaned over the bassinette picking up a tiny pink bundle. She kissed the little girl and brushed her fingertips over the little tuft of dark hair.

She smiled and handed the baby to Elliot. He sat on the sofa and stared down at his daughter.

"She is gorgeous, Liv. What is her name?"

"Isabella," she said softly watching the new father interact with his baby girl for the first time.

"Hey there, Isabella. I'm your daddy," Elliot said looking down at the baby in his arms as a strange sound filled the apartment.

He listened as the baby cried, but the little girl in his arms was still. Olivia leaned over the bassinette and picked up a second tiny pink bundle.

"Two?" Elliot asked a little stunned. "Twins?"

"I didn't get the chance to tell you, before she made her presence known," Olivia said with a smile as she sat down beside him with the other baby.

"And who is this?" Elliot asked as a grin crossed his face.

"Sophie. Isabella Hope and Sophie Grace Benson."

"Sophie and Isabella."

"You don't like the names?"

"I love their names. I would like them more if they had my name."

"Yeah, that wouldn't draw suspicion at all," she joked.

"This is wrong, Liv. To keep them hidden like some horrible secret. They are our babies, my daughters. I am not in any way ashamed of these babies and it is time I stop treating them like I am."

"Elliot, if you tell people….if Kathy finds out, all hell will break loose. Are you sure that is something that you want to risk right now?"

"There is something I need to show you," Elliot said standing with little Isabella fast asleep in his arms.

He made his way to the to chair across the room where he had dropped the stuff he had carried in with him. Olivia rocked Sophie gently to keep her content.

"What is this?" she asked as he placed a stack of papers in her hand. "You bringing me work at home to keep me busy on my down time?" she laughed.

"Not exactly. Take a closer look," he said as he flipped back the cover page.

"You really did this?" She asked looking up at him. "Elliot are you sure this is what you want? You can't do this because of us."

"Olivia, this has nothing to do with you and the girls. I filed those divorce papers before we left for Florida. I wasn't even going to go. Kathy and I are fighting all of the time and it just isn't working. We tried to make it work for the new baby, but this isn't good for him, it isn't good for anyone. Kathy asked me to go on this one last family vacation, for the kids. We didn't even sleep in the same bed the entire time we were gone. It's over. And I can say that without regret, because I know that I gave it everything I had to give. Kathy and I don't love each other anymore and if we don't end this now, I am afraid that we are going to reach a point where we hate each other. I want us to be able to remain civil for the sake of the kids."

"That makes perfect sense," Olivia admitted as Sophie opened her eyes and started to cry again. "They are probably ready to be fed again," she said carrying the baby to the kitchen to make a bottle of formula.

She carried the bottle back to the sofa and sat it on the coffee table.

"I thought you were going to feed her?"

"I am," she said as she began to unbutton her blouse. "I try to nurse them, but I don't make enough milk for both babies. So I nurse them for about ten minutes each, then finish up with the bottle."

Elliot smiled as he watched her nurse their daughter. Motherhood seemed to be so natural to her.

"How old are they?"

"Eight days."

"They look pretty healthy to be born almost three weeks early."

"They are perfect, daddy. Isabella was born first. Five pounds, three ounces and nineteen and a half inches long. Nine minutes later Sophie was born. Five pounds even and she was nineteen inches long. I had no idea I was even expecting twins. Only one baby showed up on the sonogram pictures. My doctor said it is rare, but it does happen sometimes."

"How do you tell them apart? My other twins were easy, a boy and a girl. But these two…."

"Are identical," she said with a smile. "It wasn't easy at first. Unless you stretch them out they look exactly the same. The first few days we were home, I kept their hospital bands on and they were known as Benson baby one and Benson baby two. I was so paranoid I would mix up my own kids and cause them some huge identity crisis later down the road. But once you get to know them a little better, it is easier to tell them apart."

"How?"

"Isabella is the quieter of the two, she is more laid back and relaxed. When she is awake, she is usually pretty content. She just looks around and takes in everything around her. Sophie, on the other hand….she is a girl who knows what she wants and how to get it. When she is awake, she prefers to be held. She likes to suck on her little fist and has to be the first one to eat. Her rules," Olivia laughed. "And if you look really closely, Sophie's hair is a little thicker than Isabella's."

"They are both absolutely beautiful and the look like their mama."

Elliot raised Isabella up and kissed her little forehead as she stared into his eyes.

"Do you want to switch me babies? You can give Sophie the bottle while I nurse Isabella."

"Sure," Elliot said as he traded her babies. "Well, hello Sophie," he said softly as she looked up at him and grunted. "You want this bottle, don't you?"

Elliot finished helping Olivia feed their baby girls, then helped her give them a bath and tuck them into the bassinette. Afterward he moved to the kitchen where she placed the roses in a vase of water and he began to cook dinner for the two of them.

"So, you and Kathy have already talked about all of this? Have you worked out the details of the divorce yet?" Olivia asked looking at him over the bouquet.

"Most of them. I am letting her keep the house. It is almost paid off and the kids have lived there their entire lives. I'll get a place in the city. Probably near here so I can be close to you to help with the babies. I want our girls to have their father in their lives. We meet with the lawyers tomorrow afternoon to work out the custody agreement. Kathleen and Maureen are over eighteen. But I will pay child support for the twins and Eli until they are of age. I'll send the older girls a little money now and then to help with school and bills. I will live at the house, sleeping on the couch until I can get a place. I want to tell the everyone that these are my babies, but I think maybe I should wait it out just a bit longer until Kathy and I sign our custody agreement. After that, there is nothing that she can do about it."

"I think that sounds like the best plan. Have you told the kids about the divorce, yet?"

"We talked about it on the drive home. They were all upset, of course. But no one could run away, they had no choice but to sit and talk it out, like a family."

Elliot sat down two plates of food on the table, then took a seat across from Olivia.

"Elliot, I am sorry things are so rough for you right now."

"No Liv, things are the way that they need to be before they start getting better. This is the best thing for everyone. Once the custody agreement is in writing, I can be a father to all of my children. No more secrets, no more lies. I want to help you raise our daughters."

Olivia smiled as she laid her napkin down on the table.

"You know, once you have told Kathy that you are the father of my babies things are probably going to get a little heated around the house. I was thinking, you could stay here if you'd like. I set up the spare room as a nursery, but they will probably sleep in my room for a few more weeks anyway. We could put a bed in there and store some of the furniture until it is time to move them into their own room. Until then, I have the sofa. Just until you find a place, of course. But that would allow you to be closer to the babies."

"Are you sure you wont mind?"

"El, you are my best friend and the father of my babies. I would do anything for you. Besides, you have had a lot more experience than I have with babies. I could use all the help I can get. And I think it would be good for the girls to get to spend time with their daddy."

"I have to go back tonight," he said staring into her eyes.

"I know," she replied watching him swaddle Sophie and kiss her. "Sophie, right?"

"Yeah," Olivia said with a smile.

"Sophie, you be a good girl for mommy. Daddy will come and visit you tomorrow, sweetheart." He kissed her again. Elliot handed her off to her mommy and picked up the other baby in his arms. "Izzy, come here baby. Daddy is going to miss you girls so much. But I will be back tomorrow. Yes, I will. You and sissy take good care of mommy, okay? Daddy loves you both so much." Elliot kissed the baby as she grunted and stared up at him. "Daddy's little angels. Bye bye, my babies." He kissed both girls once more as they laid them back into the bassinette.

"Izzy?"

"Sophie and Izzy, daddy's girls." Elliot said with a smile.

"Izzy," she agreed with a smile as she walked Elliot to the door.

"I'll stop by around lunch time tomorrow. I'll bring you some food and visit the girls for a little while. I have the meeting with my lawyer at three o'clock. I'll talk to Kathy and tell her about the girls. I'll come back by tomorrow evening. Make us some dinner spend the evening here with you and the girls."

"Sounds good."

Elliot stood in the doorway and looked into her eyes.

"Thank you, Liv, for letting me be a part of this."

"I will never keep you away from them. You are their father."

Elliot smiled as he leaned in and hugged her tight.

"Congratulations," he said as he stared into her eyes and gently kissed her forehead.

"You too," she said smiling up at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Olivia."

"Good night, El."


	6. 6 Cries In The Night

_**One Night Stand**_

_**(Chapter Six: Cries In The Night)**_

**Olivia turned on the lamp beside her bed as she heard the soft cries of one of her daughters.**

"**Is that Sophie?" Elliot asked from the doorway.**

"**Yeah," she said with a tired smile amazed at how quickly he was learning to tell them apart.**

"**It isn't quite time for her to eat again. What is up?"**

"**I don't know, maybe she is wet. Come here angel," she said picking up the baby from the bassinette. "Isabella is still asleep." **

**Olivia carried Sophie down the hall and laid her on the changing table as she changed the baby's diaper. **

"**She was a little wet, but I'm not sure that was the problem. Maybe I should try to nurse her." **

"**I'm going to go check on Izzy and make sure she's alright," Elliot said as Olivia settled into the rocking chair with Sophie.**

**He returned a few minutes later to see Sophie refusing to nurse.**

"**She's not hungry?"**

"**I don't know what is wrong with her, El."**

"**We'll figure it out."**

"**How is Isabella?"**

"**She is sleeping. I turned off the light and brought the monitor in here so we wont wake her. Come here baby doll," Elliot said taking Sophie from Olivia and cuddling her close to him, but it only seemed to make matters worse. **

**Now the baby's soft infantile cries had become full blown screams and she had tiny little tears falling from her eyes. **

"**Sophie, what is it baby?" Elliot asked bouncing her gently as Olivia tried not to cry. "Tell daddy what is wrong." **

**He felt her forehead and laid her down on the changing table to inspect her.**

"**She doesn't feel warm, but we should check just in case. When was her last dirty diaper?"**

"**This morning," Olivia said as the thermometer beeped. "No fever." **

"**Has she been slobbering more than usual or biting on her hands?"**

"**She always bites on her hands."**

"**She could be cutting teeth."**

"**She is only three weeks old."**

"**Some babies get them early. And they start coming in a while before they actually get teeth. Maybe her gums are hurting her. Do you have a teething ring or any medicine for her?"**

"**No," she said as tears began to rise in her eyes. "I didn't think I would need it until they were older."**

"**That may not be it."**

"**She is awful young to be teething. The baby books say it starts around three months. She isn't even a month old yet."**

**Elliot put the tip of his finger in Sophie's mouth to try and feel for teeth coming in, but she screamed and turned her head fighting him off. **

"**I don't feel anything and I can't see anything. But she won't really let me look." **

**Elliot picked up his screaming daughter and laid her against his chest as he kissed her forehead and patted her back. It was obvious she was in pain of some kind and not knowing what was wrong with their baby had them both worried sick.**

"**Okay, baby girl," Elliot cooed to her in an attempt to comfort the baby. "Where is the pacifier?" **

"**In the bassinette, but she rarely takes it."**

**Olivia walked back to her room to get the pacifier and check on the other baby. She returned a few minutes later as Elliot paced the floor trying to soothe Sophie.**

"**Here baby," Olivia said placing the pacifier into the little girl's mouth, but it didn't help much. "I don't know what to do for her," she said as she began to cry herself.**

"**Why don't you take her and walk with her for a few minutes? I am going to call the pediatrician."**

"**You're calling the doctor?"**

"**Or we could take her in to the emergency room. But I don't think they will do anything for her. She isn't running fever or vomiting and she doesn't have diarrhea. She isn't coughing or constipated and there is no rash. I don't think she is teething. My guess is colic. I just want to call him and see what he thinks."**

"**Colic? Okay," she agreed nodding her head as she took their daughter from him.**

**Elliot kissed her forehead and wiped the tear from her cheek. **

"**We'll figure it out."**

**Olivia paced the floor with Sophie laid against her shoulder. She hummed softly and patted the baby's little back as she cried.**

"**How old is she?" Elliot repeated as he spoke to the doctor. "Three weeks," he answered.**

"**Three and a half," Olivia corrected.**

"**Three and a half weeks. She weighs just over six pounds."**

**Olivia watched as Elliot listened to the doctor.**

"**No fever, no, no. She doesn't want to nurse. No, no. We have tried everything we can think of. He said it is probably colic," Elliot said lowering the phone to talk to her.**

"**What do we do for her?"**

**Elliot listened for another minute.**

"**Okay, thank you doctor." She watched as Elliot closed his cell phone and took the crying infant from her.**

"**El? What do we do? Can he give her antibiotics or something?"**

"**No. Some babies just get it. They don't really know why. He said to try laying her across your knees and rub her back. Or massage her belly. He said sometimes sounds like the vacuum cleaner or dryer will soothe a colicky baby." **

"**It is three o'clock in the morning, I can't run the vacuum cleaner. How long does it last?"**

"**Usually until they are three or four months old. They don't really know what causes it. He said as long as there is no fever or anything she will be alright. He said they have an appointment in a couple of days and he will check her out then. If she starts running fever or acts sick before then we should bring her in. With colic the crying comes in spells and she can have them several times a day and they will usually be about the same time of day. But he said it varies a little with each baby. Eli had it for a while and when he used to wake up in the middle of the night and wouldn't go back to sleep, I would take him for a ride in the car. Sometimes that helped. He didn't always go back to sleep, but it would usually stop the crying at least."**

"**Is it contagious? Should we take the other baby out of the bassinette?" **

"**I don't think so. Right now we should just comfort her and do what we can to get through the night. If she doesn't calm down soon I will take her for a drive. Tomorrow I will go get another bassinette and I will keep one of them in here with me. We can take turns getting up with Sophie when she is bad like this and that way it wont wake Isabella up."**

"**But they have never been apart."**

"**Liv, if we keep them together Izzy won't ever get sleep either. They can still nap together and sleep together some. I just mean on the rough nights Sophie can sleep in here with daddy."**

"**So what do we do for her now?"**

"**Well, it has been just over an hour since she woke up. Maybe you should try to feed her again. If she won't nurse I can try to give her a bottle." **

**Elliot turned off the living room light and the room was lit only by the light of the television and the aquarium in the corner of the room. **

**Olivia sat down on one end of the sofa and tried once more to feed her daughter. Sophie fussed and had a little trouble at first bit eventually gave in and began to nurse. She whimpered and whined softly as she stared up at her mother, but never turned away from Olivia's breast.**

"**There," Olivia said softly as she kissed the baby's little forehead. "Mommy is so sorry I can't fix it baby. Try to relax, you need try and go back to sleep."**

"**We all need to go back to sleep," Elliot said rubbing his eyes.**

"**Yeah, well in about twenty minutes it will be time to feed Isabella. And in a couple of hours you have to get up and get ready for work." **

"**My daughter is sick, I think I am more needed here. I can take a personal day. You are going to have your hands full with both babies if she cries all day. And what kind of father would I be if I just took off and left her when she isn't feeling well? You are not alone in this anymore. Let me help."**

"**I appreciate the help Elliot and I understand you wanting to be here. But if this lasts until she is three or four months old you are not going to be able to take off work every time she has a crying spell. I am going to have to learn to juggle this on my own."**

"**I'm just thinking I should take off tomorrow. This is our first night with this and if I am home tomorrow it will be a little easier on all of us. You and I can take turns catching catnaps if we need to. And maybe we can get some idea of what helps her when she is like this so we can get some kind of game plan here. I will go get another bassinette and set it up in here. Then on nights like tonight we can put one baby in the bedroom with you and the other in the living room with me. It might be a rough few weeks, but we will get through it."**

"**I'm glad you have some idea what to do. Have you dealt with this a lot?"**

"**She is my third. The Maureen had it and of course, Eli. It will pass."**

"**I hope it does soon. I hate that she is crying and I don't know what is wrong with her. I feel like my baby is in pain and I can't stop it. This is the most horrible feeling in the world."**

"**She seems to have calmed down now. Why don't you let me take her and burp her. I take the carrier into the bedroom with me and keep her in there if you want. You can feed Izzy and try to get a few hours sleep."**

"**Are you sure?"**

"**Yeah," he said softly. "She is calmed down now. I have a pacifier and I will sit in here and hold her and rock her until I get her back to sleep. Then I will move to the bedroom. We will be fine mommy. And you are right next door if you want to come in and check on her. And I will be right there beside her if she should wake up again."**

"**Okay, but if she wakes up again come and get me."**

"**Okay."**

**Olivia knelt in the floor beside the sofa and kissed her daughter's little head.**

"**Sophie, try to get some sleep baby. Mommy is right down the hall if you need me. I love you, angel."**

**Olivia watched as the baby whimpered and stirred, but didn't cry.**

"**Try to get some sleep, Liv. We are fine."**

**Olivia nodded her head as she stood and made her way back to the bedroom. She took Isabella from the bassinette and changed her diaper, then nursed her and rocked her back to sleep. When the baby was sleeping soundly in her little bed, Olivia climbed back into bed to catch a few hours sleep before they had to get up again.**


	7. 7 Family

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Seven: Family)_

It was just past eight when Olivia opened her eyes. She yawned and stretched as she moved across the room to peer down at little Isabella in the bassinette looking up at her.

"Good morning sweetheart," she whispered picking the baby up and kissing her tenderly.

Olivia laid her across the foot of the bed and changed her diaper, then sat in a chair in the corner of the room to nurse the baby.

"At least one of us got some sleep last night," she said softly looking into her daughter's little brown eyes. "Mommy loves you both so much. Yes, I do. I didn't exactly plan to be a mommy. Part of me never really thought I would be. Then I found out I was having a baby. I was shocked and scared, but there has never been a moment that I haven't loved you both or that I regretted a second of this. I want to be a good mommy for you and Sophie. I'm not so sure I am good at it, I still have so much to learn about taking care of babies. But I promise you, Isabella, that no matter what I will always love you and sissy. I will do the very best that I can to make a happy and healthy life for you both and you girls always come first. You have a mommy and a daddy who both love you girls very much. And daddy and I would do anything for you, both of you. Things have been a little crazy around here lately and I know we are all still trying to get used to each other. I feel like I barely know you girls. But, I love you. I love you and Sophie more than I ever thought I could ever love anyone. And everything that I have done from the moment I found out I was pregnant, everything I will do for the rest of my life, is for you girls. Mommy loves you, angel."

Olivia rocked her daughter a little then burped her and carried her into to the nursery to change her. In the few weeks Elliot had been staying with her, he had decided they wouldn't take down the nursery. Instead, he bought a twin sized bed and put it in the room with the crib. His intention had been to find a place of his own as soon as he could, but they had been so busy taking care of their new twin daughters that he hadn't really had a chance to look.

Olivia tapped softly on the bedroom door then pushed it open to see Elliot's bed still made up neatly. She smiled softly and carried Isabella to the changing table to dress her for the day.

"Daddy must have gotten up early with Sophie," she said softly kissing Isabella's little feet before tucking them into her sleeper.

Olivia grabbed a second sleeper and a diaper and carried Isabella into the living room to help Elliot with Sophie. She smiled down at the baby in her arms as she stepped into the room. The sight she saw when she got there just about made her cry.

Elliot was stretched out sleeping on the sofa on his back and curled up on his chest with her little head nestled tight under his chin, was little Sophie sleeping soundly. It was the most adorable thing she had ever seen in her life and she smiled as she felt her tears rise. Elliot was such an amazing father and she couldn't have found a better daddy for her girls if she had tried.

Olivia took a deep breath and kissed Isabella once more.

"What do you say we let daddy and sissy sleep and you can help mommy make some breakfast?"

Isabella stretched and grunted as she looked up at her mother as if agreeing with her. Olivia stepped back into the nursery and got one of the bouncy seats. She sat it on the kitchen counter and strapped Isabella into it, turning her so she could see what was going on. She opened the refrigerator door and stared inside for a few moments at the practically empty shelves.

"Not much to pick from. Mommy needs to do some grocery shopping. Scrambled eggs it is," she said pulling a dozen eggs out and sitting them on the counter.

She opened the cabinet and started the coffee as she scrambled up two plates of eggs for she and Elliot. She took Isabella from the seat and carried her back into the living room putting her into the baby swing and gave her a pacifier. Olivia returned to the kitchen to make them each a cup of coffee then knelt at Elliot's side.

"El?" she whispered softly as his eyes opened. "Good morning," she said with a smile. "I made coffee."

"Coffee sounds great," he whispered careful not to wake little Sophie.

"Your bed is made. Did she get you up early?"

"We didn't quite make it to bed last night. She got fussy anytime I tried to move her, so we both fell asleep right here."

Olivia smiled as she smoothed her fingertips over little Sophie's dark hair and kissed her little head.

"Why don't I move her into the bassinette and give you a little break? When was the lat time she was changed?"

"About two hours ago," he answered pointing to the bottle on the edge of the coffee table. "I found a bottle of breast milk you had pumped, so I went ahead and fed her. I hope you don't mind. I just thought I would let you rest."

"I don't mind. You are so amazing with her. With them both. You always seem to know just what to do."

"I don't know. You just have to kind of figure it out," he said as she carefully slipped their baby girl from his chest and he sat up on the sofa. "I did figure out a little trick though. To help soothe her at night when she is crying and doesn't want to sleep."

"What is that?"

"The aquarium. I laid her against my chest and I leaned back where she could see into it. I know she probably cant see well enough to know what she is looking at, but she likes the lights. Oh, and the hospital across the way. I turned out all of the lights and for a while we just watched the emergency helicopters land on the roof. There were three last night and they all had flashing lights. Red and blue, like our squad cars. She loves the lights. After that she was content. She wasn't asleep, but she wasn't crying anymore either. A little while later I laid down here with her and just held her. I gave her the pacifier and cuddled her. I think she just liked knowing I was here. And we both fell asleep."

"Wow, you had a long night. Did you remember to call Cragen?"

"I did."

"What did he say? I know things are still pretty awkward since everyone found out the girls are yours."

Elliot smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

"He said he understood perfectly. And for me to take as long as I need. He is being really supportive about the situation. I think he is just glad that you are not in this alone. Not that you ever would have been."

"What do you mean by that?" she whispered with a smile.

"I mean, even if these babies weren't mine, I would be here to help as much as I could. You should know that."

"I do," she confessed, "I guess it is just nice to hear you say it."

Elliot smiled as he stared into her eyes for a moment.

"Izzy and I made breakfast. It's in the kitchen. I'm going to go lay her down. She had a rough night and needs all the rest she can get," Olivia said as she carried Sophie into the bedroom.

She returned a few minutes later as Elliot closed his cell phone.

"I have something I need to do a little later. I was thinking maybe you and the girls could come with me."

"To do what?" She asked sitting down beside him on the sofa as Elliot handed her a plate of food.

"Grocery shop, for one. I think these eggs are the only things in this apartment that are edible."

Olivia laughed.

"You are right about that."

"And I have a thing."

"A _thing_? And what makes you think I want to do this _thing_ with you?"

Elliot laughed.

"I have an appointment to look at a place. It's not too far from here. I thought maybe you and the babies could go look at it with me and then we could go by work so I can check my messages and pick up a little paperwork. I think I want to take tomorrow off too and spend it here with you and the girls."

"Really?" she asked with a smile. "Where did this come from?"

"Well, I know that things are kind of crazy right now. Kathy didn't exactly take the fact that I fathered your children well. Although that part came as no big surprise. I have been taking the kids for dinner one night a week and for dinner after church on Sundays. I think maybe it is time we introduce them to the girls."

"Are you sure? I am sure by now they have heard all kinds of horrible things about me and the girls."

"No. Kathy is upset, but she is upset with me. Not even upset really. More hurt. I told her that it was a one time thing and she and I weren't even together when we…." Elliot turned around to look at Isabella sleeping in her swing. "Olivia, those babies are two of the best things that have ever happened to me. And I think that in time Kathy will come around. But the kids are their brothers and sisters. And it doesn't matter if she likes it or not, what I do with the kids on my time is my choice. And I want them to get to see their baby sisters. I would also like for you and the girls to start joining us for church on Sunday mornings. I mean, if you would like to?"

Olivia smiled again.

"I would love to. I have never really gone to church. I mean a few times, but not like I should. But I want God to be a part of Sophie and Isabella's lives. And I want the kids to be a part of their lives. I want my children to have a family. They do have a family. A little unconventional, maybe. But it is a family."

"Yeah it is," Elliot replied tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

She smiled and leaned back against the sofa with her coffee mug in her hands.

"It still amazes me."

"What is that?" He asked.

"That something so beautiful could come out of me. Two something's."

"They get it from you," he said smiling at her. "God, Olivia. They are like tiny little doll like versions of you. I bet you looked just like that as a baby."

"I don't know."

"You don't have any pictures?"

"No. There weren't many. My mother wasn't a big picture person."

"Have you called her?"

"No. Why would I?"

"To…tell her she is a grandmother."

"She isn't. You have to be a mother, to be somebody's grandmother."

"Olivia, don't you think maybe this is a good time to try and work things out between the two of you."

"Elliot, up until a year ago I thought we had worked it out. The best we could anyway. And I had accepted that. She was in some twelve step program and we, for the first time in my life actually had a healthy relationship. I had a mother. And it was nice. Then she fell off the wagon. And this time, I am not allowing her to take me down with her."

"Liv, I know she has hurt you in the past."

"Damaged. She damaged me, Elliot. Hurt does not even begin to explain what she has done over the years."

"She hurt you and she damaged you. But you are stronger than that. Liv, you are who you have become because of the things your mother put you through. I am not in anyway trying to justify anything the woman did or didn't do for that matter. But you are a smart, beautiful, strong woman because of the challenges you have faced in your life. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't be here. If it weren't for her, they wouldn't be here. I know it is hard to forgive someone when all they have done is cause you pain. But maybe seeing the girls would help give her the strength she needs to kick the drinking habit once and for all."

"I'm just not ready, Elliot." She looked up at him as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I know that I am supposed to forgive her and move on. And I know that I should be the stronger person. She has an illness, a disease and it has greatly effected both of our lives. She can say she is sorry a thousand times and I can say that I forgive her for what she has done, but that doesn't make the words true. I can't let her be around my children the way that she is now. I can't let her hurt and damage my girls the way she did me, with her false hopes and empty promises. When she hurt me, it was her fault. But if she hurts them, that is my fault. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't protect them from pain?"

"I understand exactly what you are saying, Liv. But maybe you could just give her a call. Tell her that she is a grandmother. Tell her that she has a reason to sober up. My father is gone and my mother is dead. She is the only grandparent they will ever have."

"They are the best thing that has ever happened to me. All I want is to love them and protect them from anything that could bring them harm. Unfortunately, one of those things, is their grandmother. I just need a little time to work this all out in my head. Just a little while to let the wounds heal, before I give her the chance to come back into my life. I have not even seen her since a few months before I got pregnant."

"You saw her?"

"Yeah, in the drunk tank. She got wasted and fell off a barstool. When the owner of the bar tried to help her up she screamed and hit him."

"She though he was trying to attack her?"

"Yes. They arrested her and called me to make her bail. When I arrived at the station, their captain recognized me from some work I did with them on some computer crimes cases. He spoke to the bar owner and got him to drop the charges if she signed an agreement stating she wouldn't go to his bar anymore. The entire thing was cleaned up and taken care of in a matter of hours because a cop wanted to help out another cop. My mother never even knew I was there. She was passed out in the cell the entire time I was at the station. Luckily they had the decency to keep it under wraps and the news of Detective Benson's mothers drunk and disorderly charge never got around."

"I'm sorry, Liv. I know this is a tough thing for you to have to deal with."

"She is sick, Elliot. She has been all of my life. She needs help. And I don't want her around my kids until she gets it!"

Olivia folded her arms in front of her and stood from the sofa. She walked over to look out the living room window out across the city as the room grew quiet.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as she looked at him over her shoulder. "I shouldn't have raised my voice to you. You are their father and you should be a part of this decision."

"I support your choices. She is your mother. And you are their mother. The only other person in the world who wants the same things for them that I do. You love them and you want to protect them from getting hurt. I get that. But what worries me is that someday, Serena Benson will be gone. And it will eat at you that you never allowed the girls to have their grandmother in their lives. I know you, Olivia. You want so badly to forgive her. You want so badly to love her and for her to love you, the way she was supposed to all of your life. Somewhere inside, I think maybe she wants the same things. But neither of you know how to work toward them. You have been hurt and damaged. And you are a strong and stubborn woman," Elliot said as she laughed through tears. "I think you get that from her. But you are a fighter. You get that from her, too. You can sit here for the rest of your life being stubborn and waiting for her to make the first move and get help, Olivia. But I am afraid that if you don't take control, take that first step and tell her what she needs to do to make this right….honey, she probably isn't going to figure it out on her own. I think maybe she thinks there are no chances left. Maybe she needs you to tell her what she needs to do to get another chance."

"Maybe you're right," she said softly as she exhaled and stared at her baby girl in the swing. "They deserve everything I can give them. And I would do anything for them. So maybe I should just suck it up and make another attempt. I should put the past in the past and try to make this thing with my mother work. If not for me, then for my daughters. I will talk to her. But I am serious when I say that I do not want her to be a part of their lives until she stops drinking. And I don't want her left alone with them. Ever."

"Okay. You know her better than I do. But do you really think that she would do something to hurt them?"

"Elliot, I don't know what she would or wouldn't do. But I am not going to give her the chance to do anything that could hurt them. Forgiving her is one thing, Elliot. I won't lie, it isn't going to be easy for me to do. But forgetting anything ever happened is not likely."

"You are willing to give her a chance. That chance comes with conditions, but it is a start. You are making the first move. That is a tough thing to do. I know it isn't easy, but you are doing it. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks. Now all I have to do is actually put this plan into action. But that adventure I am saving for another day," she said as she stood up and carried her dishes to the kitchen sink. "This _thing_ today, what time is it?"

"Around one. I was thinking we could go and get the other bassinette. Do a little shopping. Take the girls by work so I can show off my daughters and grab some lunch. Do the _thing_ and then get some groceries before we head home. I will even cook you dinner tonight."

"Wow. You have this entire day planned out."

"I do," he agreed with a smile.

"Is there any time during this busy schedule for me to grab a quick shower while the babies are sleeping?"

"I think we could pencil that in," Elliot laughed.

"I won't be long, I promise. They should both sleep, but if they wake up…."

"We'll be fine, mommy. I have done this a time or two."

"Right," she said with a smile. "Try to let Sophie sleep if she will. I'll try to nurse her when I get out of the shower."

"I've got this."

"Okay," Olivia laughed as she headed down the hallway.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elliot parked Olivia's SUV in the parking garage and walked around to the back to pull out the stroller. He unfolded it and pushed it around to the passengers side to help her get the babies out of the car.

"We're not taking their seats in?" she asked looking over at him.

"I figured this way they can stretch out a bit," he replied sitting the diaper bag in the front blocking the leg holes so nobody was in danger of falling out. "Diaper bag, with extra clothes, diapers, burp cloths and a couple bottles of breast milk. I packed it good."

"Yes, you did. Wait, pacifiers?"

"Right here," he said pulling them from the bag.

Olivia laughed.

"You are so good."

"Okay mommy, are you ready for the hand off?"

Olivia stood beside the stroller as Elliot pulled the first baby from her car seat and handed their daughter off to her.

"Sophie," he announced handing Olivia the baby.

"Check," Olivia replied kissing Sophie and laying her into the stroller placing a pacifier in her mouth.

"And Isabella," Elliot said kissing baby number two and handing her to mommy.

"Check," Olivia cooed kissing her daughter as she laid her into the stroller beside her sister and gave her a pacifier as well.

"And the extra blanket."

"Check," Olivia said with a smile as she draped the soft cotton candy pink blanket over the stroller to block the summer breeze from the babies.

"I think we are good to go. I can't wait to introduce them to everyone."

"El, I hate to burst your bubble, but Cragen and the guys came to visit me at the hospital when I had them. They have met the girls before."

"Maybe so, but they have never met them as my daughters."

Olivia looked up from the stroller to smile at him.

"I guess you're right."

Elliot pushed the button to open the elevator doors and helped Olivia push the stroller inside. Fin spotted them the moment they stepped off the elevator and dropped the stack of papers in his hand on his desk to greet them.

"Hey guys. How are they doing?"

"Really well," Olivia said with a smile. "They are both over six pounds now."

"That is great. Do you mind if I…?" he asked as Elliot proudly pulled back the blanket to reveal the two little brown eyed babies staring up at them.

"Look at you guys," Fin cooed as Olivia smiled watching the big tough guy kneel beside the stroller and melt like butter at the sight of the two infants. "They have grown so much. Can I hold one?"

"Sure," Olivia said with a smile.

"I can't even tell them apart," Fin said hesitating to pick up one of the tiny babies.

"Would you like some help?" Elliot asked. "Who do you want to hold?"

"This one," Fin said pointing at one of the baby girls.

Elliot smiled as he picked up the baby.

"This is Sophie," he said with a smile placing his daughter into Fin's arms.

"It has been so long since I held a baby this small. Actually, I don't think I have ever held a baby this small. Ken weighed over nine pounds when he was born. He was never as little as you," Fin cooed bouncing Sophie gently as she grunted.

Just then Cragen spotted them and made a beeline for the stroller.

"My girls are here," he said with a smile as Olivia handed him a baby. "Who is this?"

"Isabella," Elliot announced proudly.

"I don't know how you tell them apart," Cragen said looking from Isabella back to Sophie. "They look identical."

"They are identical," Elliot said with a smile. "But as you get to know their personalities it is much easier to tell them apart. Sophie is more outgoing. She likes to be cuddled and held close. And she will stare up at you and grunt and you swear you can tell exactly what she is saying."

Cragen laughed and smiled.

"Isabella, is a little quieter. But she is always looking around and just taking things in. You can just see her figuring things out and tell how smart she is. She hardly ever cries and she likes when you sing to her. And they are both daddy's girls."

Cragen laughed as he looked down at the baby in his arms.

"I can see that. They are both just beautiful. And they are getting so big, so fast."

"Yes they are," Olivia agreed.

"How is the colic thing coming along?"

"We had a rough night. It will probably take a little getting used to, but we will get it figured out. I just hate that it is so rough on her," Olivia said kissing Sophie's forehead.

Olivia pushed the stroller toward her now empty desk as Fin and Cragen carried around her daughters.

"Are you guys going to be her a while? Munch and Casey are on their way over here from court and I know they would love to see how big the girls are getting," Cragen said.

"A little longer Captain," Elliot said checking his watch. "I actually have an appointment to look at a place a little later and I promised Liv I would buy her lunch. It's the least I can do for her letting me crash on her sofa for the last few weeks."

"You have a bed," Olivia said with a smile. "The room you have to share with two three week olds, but the bed is all yours."

"Hey, I am not complaining one bit about the company."

After lunch Elliot and Olivia went to look at the apartment for Elliot. It was a four bedroom brownstone that had been completely remodeled, not far from Olivia's apartment. And it wasn't for rent, it was for sale.

"What do you think?"

"Elliot, this place is gorgeous. But don't you think it is a little much? Four bedrooms?"

"Four bedrooms. I have kids Olivia. Kids take up space. I also love that it has the privacy fenced yard. Not a big one, but a yard. The terrace, here and off the master bedroom. Three full bathrooms and a laundry room."

"It wont be too much when you don't have the kids? You only get them every other weekend."

"Just stick with me here," he said taking her by the hand as he showed her the apartment once more. "This room, I would fix up for the boys. Dickie and Eli. And this would be my room. Take the master bedroom, since it is bigger and use it for the older girls."

"They wouldn't mind sharing a room?"

"I am bribing them with their own bathroom. Trust me, they will be alright with it."

Olivia laughed.

"And this room an office?" she said turning on the light to look at the fourth bedroom.

"Nursery, for Sophie and Izzy."

"Oh, wow. Look at this closet space."

"Then we have the kitchen and living room. And…" he paused for a moment opening two French style doors into another room.

"A family room."

"Actually, I was thinking maybe we could turn this into your room," he said watching her for a reaction.

Olivia turned around and looked at him.

"My room?"

"This is a family style house, Liv. It needs a family to live in it. It has the space we need to live and be together as a family. Room for the kids, all of the kids. A yard. All it needs is a family. We do so good with them together. I couldn't imagine not being there for every moment with them. Or going a night without kissing them goodnight. Not being there in the mornings when they wake up. I realize you are just a few blocks away Olivia, but not being under the same roof I would miss so much of their moments. I was hoping maybe if I got this place, you and the girls could move in here with me and we could all be a family together in _our_ new place. That was the real reason I wanted you to come here with me today. I actually looked at this place and a couple others last week. But this is the one, it is perfect."

"Elliot, how can we afford this?"

"Well, I the guy who is renting my apartment was thrilled when I offered to sell. You could rent out your place if you don't want to sell. If we move in this month, I figure I'll get this paid off by the time Sophie and Izzy are in college."

Olivia laughed.

"You still have the mortgage on the house in Queens."

"It is paid off next year. Kathy is going to be making part of the payment on that so honestly, it wont cost me much more than the payment on my apartment did. It would actually be cheaper than the cost of the combined payments on both our apartments. We are saving money and we both get to be with our kids day and night. I know this is a lot to think about and I just kind of sprung this on you. But we could do this, we make an amazing team. Please, Olivia. I don't want to live in a different home than my daughters. I have no choice with the other kids. But I am just getting to know the babies."

"El…"

"Think of how much easier this would be with two parents here all of the time. And you have your own space. Your own bathroom, there and new carpet. The terrace and privacy. I can even put on different doors if you want."

Olivia smiled.

"It isn't about the doors."

"What is it about?"

"Just…I mean it is kind of a big decision. Moving in together?"

"Liv, when I told you that I was moving out of the house and I had someone living in my apartment already, you didn't hesitate to ask me to stay at your place."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Well, because we weren't buying a house together."

"We don't have to buy a house together now, if that is not what you want. I will buy the house and you and the girls just live here with me and the other kids when I have them. It is almost the same as if I was paying you child support. I am helping to support my children. Helping to raise my daughters. I am getting to be their father. And I can see them every day."

"Elliot, you can see them anytime you want. It doesn't matter where we live."

"It does matter, Olivia. What if things were different? What if I had a place and the girls lived with me and I let you see them whenever you wanted, but you lived in your apartment and I lived here?"

"That isn't going to happen."

"Why not?"

"Are you seriously considering taking my kids from me now?"

"No, Olivia. I am just saying why not?"

"Because they are my daughters, I should be with them all of the….time." Suddenly she understood exactly what Elliot was trying to say. "It wouldn't be nearly enough and I would miss them like crazy every minute I was away from them. I would go insane," she said softly fighting back tears.

"So would I. I love them too, Liv. I know they spent all of those months inside of you and the first several days of their life alone with you. But I am their father and I would really like the chance to be their daddy, too. I want us to be together as a family. _All_ of us."

Olivia took a deep breath and looked down at the sleeping babies in the stroller.

"I think you are right. I think this is what is best for them. Being with their father and mother and brothers and sisters. I never had a family. I want my kids to have one. And I always want them to be able to see their daddy."

"So you will move in with me?"

"Yes," she said with a soft smile. "I…we, will move in with you. And this place is amazing."

Elliot hugged her tight and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you, so much. You wont regret it, I promise."

Olivia smiled.

"Now I just have to talk to someone to put my apartment on the market."

"I know someone," he said with a smile. "And she just happens to be standing in our new living room."

Olivia smiled and laughed.


	8. 8 Gone

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Eight: Gone)_

Olivia rocked three month old Sophie in her arms as she yawned hoping the baby would give in and fall back to sleep soon. Across the room Isabella slept soundly and rarely ever woke up crying in the night. This colic thing was rough on them all.

Over the last month or so, Elliot and Olivia had gotten settled into the new house. Olivia had switched rooms with the older girls so that she would be closer to the nursery once the babies were moved into their own beds. She had attempted letting Sophie and Isabella spend a night in the nursery in their cribs once or twice, but when Sophie would wake up crying she woke the entire household.

The girls had grown a lot since they were born. Now just over eight pounds each and able to move around more on their own, they had outgrown their bassinettes. When the transition to their nursery didn't quite work out the way they had planned, Dickie helped Elliot move one of the cribs into Olivia's room so that the babies could sleep in together in that and have more space.

From that point, Olivia had moved in the changing table and rocking chair and pretty much transformed a corner of her bedroom into a little mini nursery for the babies. So far this seemed to be working out perfectly.

She kissed her daughter on the forehead as Sophie closed her little fist around her mama's finger. Sometimes Olivia wasn't sure that Sophie just wasn't afraid that she and Isabella were alone. She would wake up in the night and cry, but sometimes as long as mommy held her really tight and spoke softly to her, everything seemed to be okay. It was as if she thought mommy was going to leave them or something. And when she got in these moods, mommy was the only one who could make her feel better. Other nights it was daddy she wanted and no one else would do.

Olivia walked to the edge of the crib and tucked the blanket around little Isabella. It was nearing four o'clock in the morning and she would probably sleep until at least eight or so without a complaint. Liv carried Sophie to the bed as she fluffed the pillows.

"Alright kiddo, what do you say you sleep in the big bed with mommy tonight? But we have to be really quiet so we don't wake everyone else up."

Sophie grunted and stirred around a bit as she stared up at Olivia.

"Mommy loves you so much."

She laid the baby down on a pillow and placed another one beside her to prevent Sophie from rolling off the bed. Sophie kept her eyes on mommy, as Olivia made her way around to the other side of the bed and slid in under the blankets.

Sophie whimpered in protest for a moment, unsure if this was a good idea. But Olivia laid her palm against the little girl's chest and Sophie held tight to mommy's finger once more.

Olivia smiled as her baby girl yawned and closed her heavy eyes. Moments later, Sophie was finally back to sleep.

"Goodnight my little angel. Mommy loves you and sissy more than anything in the world. You girls are my life," Olivia whispered as she gently kissed her baby daughter and closed her eyes as well.

The next morning Olivia nursed the babies and dressed them. She held Isabella against her chest as she scooped Sophie up in her arms, juggling the little girls in a way that only the mother of twins could do. She bounced the babies gently as she made her way down the hall toward the living room.

"They're awake," Elizabeth almost squealed rushing to Olivia and removing Sophie from her arms. "I have waited all morning to play with you," she said smiling down at her baby sister as Sophie cooed.

Olivia smiled as she kissed the top of Isabella's head.

"Where is everyone?" Olivia asked.

"Pretty much everyone else is still in bed. Dad is snoring. Dickie will sleep until noon. And Kathleen got up and fixed Eli a bottle a few hours ago. Last I checked she had him in the bedroom watching television."

"You the only early bird in the family?"

"Not the only one," Elizabeth said smiling down at her baby sister.

"Do you want to help us make breakfast?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah," Elizabeth replied with a smile.

Elliot made his way into the kitchen to see Olivia in Elizabeth laughing over a bowl of pancake batter. On the counter in their little bouncy seats were Sophie and Isabella watching all of the activity in front of them. In the dining room Kathleen was setting the table for breakfast and Maureen was sitting at the table holding Eli.

"Looks like the party started without me," he said smiling at Isabella as he tugged on her little foot and kissed her.

"We wouldn't have eaten without you," Olivia replied. "Coffee?"

"Coffee sounds great."

"Here dad," Elizabeth said handing him a cup of the hot black liquid.

"Thank you sweetheart. Where is your brother?"

"I woke him up about twenty minutes ago. He is in the shower. I was going to wait until everything was ready and wake you up too. Liv and I thought you could use a little extra sleep."

"Thank you sweetheart. Everyone going to be ready for church in time?"

"Yes. We still have plenty of time."

"After church we will get some lunch before I have to take you guys back to mom."

"Are Sophie and Isabella going to church with us?"

"Well, that is up to Liv."

"Olivia," she asked with a smile, "will you and the babies go to church with us? Please?"

Olivia smiled and laughed a little.

"What is this all about?"

"I don't know. Just that we live together as a family and we have meals together like a family. I think we should go to church together, too. Please?"

"Okay. If it means that much to you, the girls and I would love to go to church with you. But you know, being in a church service with three small babies isn't going to be easy."

"I can help. If any of them cry or need changed, I will take them."

Olivia laughed again.

"You are a great big sister and a lot of help."

"Thanks," Elizabeth said with a smile. "I love having baby sisters. I love having a baby brother, too. But having little sisters is really cool. And they are so cute. I love them so much."

"Well, they love you, too. Can you carry this plate of pancakes to the table and get out the juice and milk? I am going to grab the babies and we can all sit down to eat."

"Okay."

That afternoon Elliot helped her carry the babies into the house.

"I'm gonna make some dinner," he said sitting Sophie's car seat onto the dining room table and unbuckling her. "Any idea what you would like?"

"Anything sounds good. I need to change them and feed them, then lay them down for a little while. They have had a very busy day."

"Why don't I help you with the girls, then we can lay them down in the playpen in here? That way they can stretch out a little and get some rest. I'll throw a couple of steaks on the grill and open a bottle of wine."

"That sounds really good."

Elliot changed Sophie's diaper and placed her in her swing as he moved into the kitchen to make a bottle. Olivia changed Isabella and sat down on the sofa to nurse her for a little while, while Sophie was content.

Elliot carried the bottle into the living room and picked Sophie up from the swing handing her to Olivia and taking Isabella to give her the bottle.

"They are growing so fast," he said smiling down at his daughter in his arms.

"They have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'm excited to see how much they weigh."

"You guys gonna come by and see daddy at work?"

"I could probably arrange that."

"Everyone at work has been asking about them. And they have been asking about you."

"About me?"

"Everyone is curious as to when you are coming back to work."

"I'm just not ready. They are awfully little to go to daycare. It scares me."

"I agree with you. They are too little for daycare and I don't think you should go back until you are ready. We are doing fine here, there is no hurry for you to go back to work."

"Most women are off six weeks after they have a baby. The girls are three months old and I still haven't gone back."

"You are a wonderful mother. I can't blame you for wanting to spend every moment here with our beautiful little girls. When it is time for you to return to work, I think you will know."

"How?"

"I don't know. But I think if you are nervous about leaving them so soon, maybe there is a good reason. Take a little more time. You will know when you are ready to go back. And you know daycare isn't the only option."

"We have to find someone to watch them, Elliot. I can't very well take them to work with me."

"What about a housekeeper or a nanny? There are agencies, places here in the city that can provide someone to watch the babies here in our home. They have complete background checks ran on them and have references. We can make an appointment and interview a few until you find someone you are comfortable with."

"That does sound better than taking them to daycare with dozens of other children and only one or two staff. Not to mention all of the germs they would be exposed to."

Elliot smiled as he burped Isabella.

"We live in New York City, Olivia. They are going to be exposed to germs."

"I know. But little kids pass all kinds of illnesses to each other. It would be a lot safer for them to be here and be able to be in their own house and take naps in their own bed. I like that idea."

"Then I will make the call tomorrow morning. You can choose someone and take a few days to watch her with the girls and make sure you are comfortable, before you go back to work. Maybe take a spa day and get in a little mommy time without the babies. And if we have someone staying here with them, we can stop in and check up on them any time during the day. We wont have to drag them out when it is cold or rainy to take them to daycare."

"Alright, I'm sold. I am still a little nervous, call me paranoid. But I do like the idea of someone watching them in our home."

"You are a first time mother. Paranoid is part of your job description."

Olivia smiled as she kissed Sophie and the baby closed her eyes.

"They are my entire life. I only want what is best for them. I couldn't imagine my life with out them in it."

"That is part of what makes you such a great mother. Olivia, these babies are going to be very well taken care of. I promise you that. We may not be able to give them everything they want, but they will definitely have everything they ever need. Daddy will make sure of it."

"Thank you for being so understanding about this whole work thing."

"Hey, I have done this before, remember. I know how hard it was for me to go back to work after Kathy and I had Maureen. I was so afraid of letting someone else watch her that when Kathy wanted to be a stay at home mom, I was relieved. Then one by one the other kids came and it was even harder to leave them when it came time to go back to work. I know how this feels, from a father's point of view anyway."

Olivia laid Sophie down in the playpen and Elliot laid a not quite asleep Isabella in beside her sister giving her a pacifier.

"I am just so afraid that when I go back to work I will miss out on something. A first step or a first word. When they start crawling. I want to be here for it all."

"We will just have to tell them to save all the good stuff for when we are home," Elliot laughed. "And hope they listen."

"Yeah," Olivia agreed with a smile.

The next morning was busy as Olivia got the girls ready for their doctors appointment. She had taken the babies out in the city before, but usually had Elliot or at least one of the other kids along to help her with the babies, today it was just her and her daughters.

The sky was overcast and there seemed to be a threat of rain.

"Of course it would rain," Olivia mumbled to herself as she buckled the second car seat into the back of her SUV.

She moved around to the back of the car and loaded up the stroller, if the weather wasn't too awful bad this afternoon she had intended on doing a little shopping while she had the babies out. She looked up at the sky once more in search of the sun as she tossed the diaper bag into the passenger's seat. She reached her hand up under the drivers seat to pull out the umbrella she kept there and tucked it into the diaper bag just in case. A quick check of the babies in the mirror and they were on their way.

The doctor's appointment went really well and the pediatrician seemed very impressed by the two healthy baby girls Olivia brought in to see him. She buckled the girls back into their seats and headed back down to the car.

A few blocks across town they met up with Elliot for a little lunch, before heading back to the office so Olivia could check her messages and pick up some paperwork to take home with her. After daddy showed his babies off once more at work and everyone had gotten a chance to hold a twin, Olivia slipped back to the cribs to feed them before they were off again.

Elliot walked Olivia to the car, carrying Sophie in one arm and her car seat in his other hand. He kissed his babies good bye as he buckled their car seats back into the car for Olivia.

"So everything went well at their appointment?"

"Yes. The doctor was very impressed at how well they are doing. Isabella weighs eight pounds eight ounces and Sophie weighed in at eight pounds four ounces. He said they are doing great. Very healthy."

"Mommy and daddy take very good care of them."

Olivia smiled.

"So what to you ladies have planned for this afternoon?"

"I had hoped to get in a little shopping before heading home, but I'm not sure if the weather is going to cooperate."

"It isn't supposed to rain."

"It sure looks like it is going to."

"You buying anything in particular?"

"Just stuff," she said with a smile. "There is a children's store across town that is having a big sale. I thought I would stop in there. Seeing as we have two girls and a boy all around the same size I thought maybe I would pick them all up a few new outfits."

"Sounds good. I called an agency today and spoke to a woman. She said that we could come in tomorrow and fill out some paperwork and start interviewing people on Wednesday."

"That's is good. I am really glad you had this idea. I am so much more comfortable with the idea of a nanny, than I am of daycare."

"Munch and I have to head across town and talk to a few people. But I should get off work at a decent hour tonight. How does Chinese food sound for dinner?"

"That sounds good. I picked up a few more files to work on. I am hoping the girls will go to sleep a little early tonight and I might be able to get a little work done."

"I'd better get going. I will see you guys at home tonight."

"Okay."

Elliot held the car door as she climbed inside closing it behind her. He watched until her SUV was out of the parking lot and had disappeared down the block. Elliot walked across the parking lot to where John Munch was waiting nearby in the squad car.

A couple hours passed and it began to drizzle in Manhattan. Elliot wasn't really surprised when the screen on his phone showed an incoming call from Olivia.

"I have to take this," he said looking over at Munch who was more worried about the traffic and the rain than what who his partner was talking to on the phone. "Liv, what's up?"

Munch watched as a look of concern crossed Elliot's face, something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

"Olivia, calm down. Honey, You are crying and I can't understand you. Take a deep breath. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she hiccupped as she gasped for air. "There was a man. He stole the car…."

"Liv, I don't give a damn about the car. Are you and the girls alright?"

He listened helplessly as she began to break down once more.

"Elliot, Sophie was in the car."

"He took Sophie?"

"She's gone. This man just got in the car and took off with it. And the baby was in the backseat."

"Liv, where is Isabella?"

He listened nervously. It was really hard to understand what she was saying between her tears and the fact that her phone kept cutting out.

"I have Izzy. She is here with me," she sobbed. "But Sophie is gone."

"Olivia, I am on my way. Just tell me where you are."

Elliot listened as Olivia gave him the address.

"I will be there as soon as I can."

Elliot rambled off the address as Munch turned on his lights and siren. Elliot stared out the window into the rain and prayed to God that their little girl was alright.

When they arrived the area was already crawling with uniformed officers. Munch flashed his badge as Elliot pushed his way through the crowd to get to Olivia's side.

"Where is the mother?" Munch asked one of the officers.

"She was about to hyperventilate. One of our guys took her inside to try and get her to calm down," he said pointing at a little café behind them.

Elliot headed inside as Munch got as many details as he could about what had just happened.

"Olivia," Elliot called as he stepped in the door and he could hear the baby crying.

He made his way to a table in the back where she sat holding Izzy and rocking her in her arms. Olivia was crying and her face was tear stained as officers asked her a thousand questions.

"Liv?"

"Elliot," she sobbed as she stood up with the baby girl in her arms.

Elliot wrapped his arms tight around her as she cried against him. He kissed her forehead and took little Isabella from her arms.

"Hey baby," he whispered softly as he kissed her and bounced her gently. "Liv, what happened?"

She drew a staggered breath as Munch appeared beside Elliot. Elliot picked up the bottle from the side of the diaper bag and offered it to his daughter, calming her. Olivia stared at the baby in his arms.

"Sophie," she whispered as tears streamed down both cheeks.

"Liv?"

"I had the babies in the stroller. We had just come out of the clothing store across the street. I was parked right out front. It was starting to rain. I started the car so it would warm up and I buckled Sophie into her seat. I climbed out of the car and turned around to take Isabella out of the stroller when I heard the driver's door shut and the car just took off into traffic. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. They stole the car with the baby in the backseat. I ran in here and told the man what happened. He called the police and I called you. I didn't know what to do. She was just gone," she sobbed.

"I have an APB out on the vehicle Detective Stabler. Every cop in the city is looking for it. We will find it. Ma'am, can you tell me what your baby looks like?"

"Like her," Elliot said looking down at Isabella. "Just like her. They are identical twins."

"I want to get an Amber alert out on your daughter. Can you tell me how old she is?"

"She is three months old. Eight pounds four ounces, brown hair and brown eyes."

"Any birthmarks or distinguishing scars?"

"No."

"Ma'am, do you have a picture of your daughter?"

Olivia just stared ahead unable to speak.

"I have one of the two of them together," Elliot replied handing the man a photo from his wallet.

"I will get this back to you as soon as I can," the man replied looking at Elliot.

"Just find my daughter."

"We are doing everything we can. Did you get a look at the man who took your car?"

"No, she said softly. All I saw was a dark hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses. I really couldn't tell what he even looked like."

"Liv," Elliot said slipping his suit jacket around her shoulders, "we should get the two of you home."

"I can't go home with out my baby."

Elliot kissed Isabella then handed her to Munch. He sat down beside Olivia and stared into her sad eyes.

"Honey, we can't stay here. It is cold and rainy out and we need to get Izzy someplace warm. We don't have to go home. But we can't stay here."

"I am so scared, Elliot."

"I know, baby. So am I. But we have done everything we can do here. Why don't you let me take you back to the precinct? I'll get you some dry clothes and get Izzy warmed up. We will be right there as soon as they find something out. If you don't want to go home, let me take you there."

Olivia nodded slowly.

"Alright."

Munch handed the baby back to her mother, tucking the blanket from the diaper bag tightly around her. He folded up the stroller and put it in the trunk of the squad car as Elliot escorted Olivia to the car. He held the door open for her as she slid into the backseat with Izzy in her arms. Elliot climbed in beside her and closed the door as Munch drove them back to the station house.


	9. 9 Vanished

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Nine: Vanished)_

It had been three days since their daughter had been stolen with their SUV and no trace had been found of either of them. Olivia had been camped out in the cribs with Isabella refusing to leave or sleep until they caught a lead. Elliot, however, had stopped looking for little Sophie only long enough to make sure that Olivia and Isabella were alright.

He would hold his baby girl and talk to her bouncing her gently as he paced the floor with her and fed her a bottle, allowing mommy the time to shower and change clothes. Then Olivia would take the baby from him, refusing to put her down and Elliot was right back to heading the search for Sophie.

At night Olivia would sit awake in the cribs watching Izzy sleep and waiting for some sort of news as to what had happened to their other daughter. But there had been no news. No one seemed to have any answers for the questions they so desperately needed answered. It were as if Sophie and the vehicle had vanished into thin air.

Posters with the baby's picture announcing a twenty five thousand dollar reward, put up by the city, were posted on ever lamp post and in every store window within a hundred mile radius. Each news broadcast flashed began with the story of the missing baby and volunteers manned phone lines taking information, hoping that someone somewhere would have seen the little girl and would call in the tip that would bring Sophie home. But so far all they had were dead ends.

Elliot sorted through the food the team had ordered form the deli around the corner. He picked up a square Styrofoam container and one of the drinks and headed down the hall toward the cribs. It was after midnight and they were just now ordering dinner for everyone.

"Liv?" he asked softly knocking gently on the door to the room that had now become the temporary property of Olivia and the baby.

The room was small and used to be an office before the remodeling had been done. Now, it held a few file cabinets with information from old cases and a couple of bunks the guys had set up for Elliot and Olivia to have a place to go with the baby. Cragen had a small refrigerator brought in for baby bottles and put an old black and white television in there to allow Olivia a soft light to see to get up with Izzy at night and it stayed on a local news channel that kept replaying the story of Sophie's abduction.

"Hey," she replied looking up at him. "Did they get a lead?"

"Not yet. But they are not giving up," he said peering into the stroller at little Izzy sound asleep. "You have actually got this place looking a little homey. Do you think you guys will be alright in here?"

"Yeah, it is actually working out really well. Now the guys can sleep for a little while in the cribs without the baby waking them up," she said forcing a smile.

"We're not giving up, Olivia. Those people out there are working around the clock to help bring our little girl home."

"I know. And I thank God for all of the help we have gotten here. But I am so afraid, Elliot. It just kills me to know that she could be out there somewhere cold and alone, scared or hurt, crying for me and I cannot help her. I just pray that she is safe and that soon I will be holding her again. Izzy misses her, too."

"They have never been apart this long."

"They have never been apart at all. Not more than a few feet apart anyway. Even in the hospital after they were born they slept in the same bed. The longest they have been apart was the few nights they actually slept in their own cribs. And that only happened about twice. Sophie has never been alone before. And now she is God knows where with out her mommy and daddy and Isabella there to comfort her. Izzy still wakes up and just whines and she looks at me with those little brown eyes like she is pleading with me to bring Sophie home to her. We have to find her, El. I am not sure that any of us could survive if we lost her for good."

"We are going to find her. I wont stop looking until we find her. If I have to knock on every door in this city and personally search every home, I _will_ find my daughter."

"But what if we don't? What if she is gone, Elliot? You heard that news reporter when she asked if we thought the abduction could have been part of a black market baby ring. People steal babies and children and sell them to the highest bidder. Sophie is a healthy three month old baby, that woman said she would probably bring a lot of money on the black market."

"I don't like her talking to you like that. She doesn't know what she is even talking about. She will say whatever gets people to watch her stupid news report and they don't even care if it is all true."

Olivia just stared at him like she wasn't sure what to believe.

"Liv, we have no evidence that someone took her to sell her. Or harm her."

"You're right. We have no evidence at all."

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"Yes," Elliot said turning to look over his shoulder.

"Detective Benson has a visitor."

"A visitor?"

"Yes."

"Who?" Elliot asked.

"Some lady, she says she knows her."

Olivia looked confused for a moment as she leaned forward and peeked out between the blinds to try to catch a glimpse of the visitor.

"It is almost two o'clock in the morning! Get rid of her," Elliot protested.

"Oh my God," Olivia mumbled.

"What?" Elliot asked looking over at her.

"Elliot look," she said holding the blinds open as Elliot looked out at the woman he had only seen on photographs. "You want me to handle this? I'll tell her you don't want to see her."

"No," Olivia said with tears in her eyes. "I should at least talk to her. Can you sit with her?" she asked tucking a blanket tight around Isabella and kissing her forehead.

"Of course. Are you sure about this?"

"I'm not sure about anything anymore."

"Well, I am right here if you need me."

"Thanks El," she said smiling at him over her shoulder. "But I think this is something I have to do alone."

Elliot nodded and watched through the blinds as Olivia walked across the room to the woman. For the first time in over a year, mother and daughter were standing face to face.

"Olivia?"

"Mom," Olivia replied as tears pooled behind the brown eyes she inherited from her mother.

"Why didn't you call me? I have to hear on television that I am a grandmother and that my grandchild is now missing?"

"Mom," Olivia said as tears began to stream down her face, "I really don't have the energy to argue with you right now. My baby girl is missing. And if you came here just to give me crap about what a horrible mother I am, save the breath, because you couldn't possibly hate me as bad as I hate my self right now."

Olivia turned to walk back toward the little room where her second daughter waited for her.

"Olivia, I don't hate you. I came here, because I want to be here for you. I couldn't imagine what you are going through right now and I thought that just maybe, you could use your mother. I thought maybe there was something that I could do to help find my granddaughter."

Olivia drew a staggered breath and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Is there someplace we can go to just sit and maybe grab a cup of tea?" Serena asked watching Olivia for a reaction.

"I am just so exhausted," she said softly. "I miss her so much."

"Olivia, talk to me."

Olivia turned to face her for a moment, then looked back at the door to the room where Isabella now rested, she wasn't ready to tell Serena the whole story just yet. Her eyes scanned the room as she looked for a place they could go to talk and still be nearby.

"You can use my office," Cragen said as he approached Elliot's desk. "Anything I need to do for right now can be done from right here. Go on in and close the door, that will give the two of you a little privacy. I'll let you know first thing if we get any news. I promise."

Olivia nodded and took another breath. Lately she seemed to be living her entire life one breath at a time.

"Thank you," she breathed as Cragen nodded.

She cleared her throat and took a second to compose herself once more.

"There is a coffee pot over here. Nothing fancy. But it's black and it's hot. Hot water and tea bags, cups are there," she said pointing to the stack of Styrofoam coffee cups. "I know this isn't what you are used to…."

"It will do fine. Thank you," Serena said. "You should have a cup. It will help calm your nerves," she suggested handing Olivia a cup of hot water with a tea bag floating in it.

Moments later they were sitting in Cragen's office. Serena sat in the over stuffed office chair and Olivia sat on the edge of the old brown couch.

"So, why are you here mom?"

"I told you. I want to help find the baby."

"Her name is Sophie."

"Why didn't you call me? I would have helped you if you were in trouble."

"I wasn't in trouble."

"You were pregnant and alone. Now a single mother with a missing child. You should have called."

"I should have. But I didn't want to hear it."

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about. You, mother. You telling me every day how badly I screwed up my life by getting knocked up when I wasn't married. How I ruined my life."

"Well, it would have been ideal for you to have waited until you had a man in your life to help raise this child."

"I have a man in my life. A wonderful man, who loves me….possibly more than anyone else in my entire life ever has. And my girls have a father. They have their father and he is an amazing father and there is not a single thing that I would change about the way I chose to bring my children into this world."

"Children?"

Olivia stared up at Serena, unaware until this moment that she had let her little secret slip.

"So this isn't the first time you got knocked up and failed to tell me about it?"

"Mom…."

"Talk to me, Olivia. Tell me the truth. Communicate with me, I am sitting here asking you to talk to me. Tell me anything….something about your life. Just how long have you been hiding my grandchildren from me?"

"They are just over three months old."

"Twins?"

"Yes. Both girls. Sophie and Isabella."

"Sophie is missing…. Where is Isabella?"

"Down the hall, with her father. She is sleeping."

"Can I see her?"

"I can't….just not right now. She is asleep and she hasn't bee sleeping and I really don't think I am ready for that, just yet."

"I come here to after finding out that you hid the fact that I even have grandchildren and you are still going to keep them from me?"

"Mom, I have not seen or heard from you in over a year. I am not going to just let you walk into their lives and then disappear again whenever you want. I don't want them exposed to all of the lies and the drinking and the men. I just can't do it. I am sorry if that hurts you, but it has hurt me too. And I have to protect them. It is my job to protect them," she said as she began to fall apart once more.

"You are right. The drinking and men, that is nothing babies should be exposed to. I don't blame you for not wanting to let me see them, Olivia. I have done a lot of horrible things while I was drinking and most of it, hurt you. I know that. And I am sorry. I have been sober for eight months now. I still have days when all I can think about is a drink. Alcohol is my drug. But I am trying to build a better life. And I hope to have you in it. You and my granddaughters. I know it is a lot to ask right now. I have not been here for you, Olivia. Ever. I know that, but I am here now, baby. I am right here beside you and I want to help. I even gave the men a ten thousand dollar check to add to the reward money. I want to help find Sophie."

"Okay," Olivia said with tears in her eyes.

"Honey, what happened?"

"I was out shopping with the babies and I had put Sophie in her car seat. I turned to get Isabella from the stroller and a man stole my car with my baby inside. There has been no trace of my daughter or the car since."

"What do they look like? I saw the photo they flashed on television, but it hadn't quite sunk in yet that she was my granddaughter. Do you have a picture?"

"Umm….yeah," Olivia said standing and picking up a frame from Cragen's desk that held a picture of the babies.

"Your boss has a picture of your kids on his desk?"

"We are all close here. Kind of like family. He is like a surrogate grandfather to Sophie and Isabella, he loves the. And they adore him."

"They are beautiful. Identical?"

"Yes. That is Izzy on the left and Sophie is on the right."

"They look just like you did when you were this age. You were such a beautiful baby. Still my beautiful baby."

"Mom, I have not been your baby in a very long time."

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"I just don't think that we should sit here and reminisce about all of the wonderful times we didn't really have."

"I know I hurt you, honey. And if I could take it all back I would. But I can't. All I can do is apologize and ask for forgiveness. And promise you and myself that I will do better, should you one day allow me to have a relationship with my grandchildren."

"I'm really tired. And it is very late. Maybe you should go for now," Olivia said taking the photo from Serena and tracing her fingertip over Sophie's image. I appreciate everything that you are doing to try to help bring my baby home and thank you for coming here. But the truth is that I am just not ready to put it all behind me and pretend nothing ever happened. I am very happy for you about your sobriety. If it infact has been that long, that is wonderful. Unfortunately, this is not the first time you have shared this news with me and every time before you always found your way back to the bar. I am sorry if I hurt or offend you, but I cannot allow a drunk to be a part of my children's lives. Even if she is their grandmother."

With that Olivia stood and walked toward the door. Half way out she stopped and looked over her shoulder , staring at Serena for a moment before she left the room. Serena Benson sat alone in the captain's office for a moment.

Olivia walked out and opened up her desk drawer pulling out her purse. She opened her wallet and slipped out a photograph of her little girls. She flipped it over to read the back of the photograph.

"_**Sophie Grace & Isabella Hope Benson**_

_**1 month old" **_

She traced her fingertip over the letters as she looked up to see Serena making her way toward the elevator. Olivia walked out into the hall to catch her.

"Mom," she said as the door opened.

Serena turned and looked at her. Olivia walked over beside her and placed the picture in her hand. Serena stared at it for a moment and smiled.

"Sophie Grace and Isabella Hope. They are beautiful names for beautiful little girls."

"They need their grandma. But I can't let you be around them unless I know for sure that things have changed. I just need a little time."

"I know that. You are a good mother, Olivia. And none of this was your fault. Can I keep this?"

"Yeah, I kind of thought you could use it for inspiration. When you really feel like you want to drink, maybe they can give you the strength to stay away from the bottle. They are my strength. I was thinking maybe you could come around more often. I might be a grown up now, but there are still many times in my life that I could use a mother. And you know, if things go well, then maybe you could meet Izzy."

"That sounds like a good idea. And grandma is going to be here to hold little Sophie when she comes home, too."

"Yeah," Olivia said as a tear trickled down her cheek. "But mom, this is a one time chance. If you start back up with the drinking….I can't let you be around the babies."

" I understand that. This is a chance for a fresh start. And I think maybe this is just what I need to kick this awful habit once and for all. I love you baby," Serena said kissing her daughter's forehead.

"I love you too, mama."

"You give Isabella a kiss for me and tell her that grandma loves her and hopes to see her real soon. And if you need me baby, call me. I can be here in minutes."

"I will," Olivia agreed as Serena stepped into the elevator and the doors closed in front of her.

"How did it go?" Elliot asked looking up at her as she walked back into the room.

"It went….alright, I guess. Our relationship will never be perfect."

"What did she say about the babies?"

"She put up another ten thousand dollars for Sophie's reward. And she said she wants to meet them."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I told her I wasn't quite ready. Not isn't really the best time to be worrying about things with my mother. I need to be focusing on finding my child. But I agreed to work on trying to mend things between us and I think that after a while….as long as she stays sober, maybe it would be good for the babies to meet their grandmother."

"I think you handled that perfectly."

"Elliot," Cragen said rushing into the room behind Olivia, "we just got a call from a precinct in Philadelphia….they found Olivia's SUV."

"Where?" Elliot asked.

"Just outside the city wrapped around a lamp post."

"What about Sophie? Did they find Sophie?" Olivia asked.

"I'm sorry, Liv. The baby wasn't in the car. I'm sending Munch and Fin, now."

"Let me go," Elliot insisted.

"You are too close to this," Cragen snapped.

"This is my daughter we are talking about here! You are damn right I am close to this!"

"I am sorry, Elliot. I just can't. Not only is it against policy, it just isn't safe. I shouldn't have even told you about the lead, but I promised you guys I would keep you updated and I know you are worried sick. And Olivia needs you here. I faxed a copy of the poster to Philly and they are going to hang them for us. Someone has to know what happened to that baby. I am sending Munch and Fin because I know they wont stop looking until Sophie is home safe in your arms. I trust them. They love that baby just as much as I do. Right now, you should try to get some rest. I will let you know as soon as I find something out," Cragen said walking out of the room and closing the door.

"Get some rest….I would like to see him sleep knowing his kid is missing!"

"They are gonna find her, right El?"

"Yeah honey, they are not going to give up until they do. You heard Cragen, someone has to know what happened to Sophie. And thirty five thousand dollars is one hell of a lot of money to pass up to cover for someone. Somebody had to have seen her."


	10. 10 Four Very Long Days

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Ten: Four Very Long Days)_

Olivia held Isabella in her arms as she paced the floor waiting for some kind of news from Philadelphia.

"Munch and Fin are on their way back," Cragen said as he walked back to his office.

"Did they make an arrest?" Olivia asked. "Where is Sophie?"

"They didn't have her. The car was left in a mall parking lot, keys were inside and it was unlocked. They stole it and took it for a joy ride."

"And you believe them?"

"Security tape from the parking lot backs up their story. We have them on camera taking the vehicle, no baby."

"But we did get something," Munch said as he walked into the room.

"What?"

"Check it out," Fin said pressing play on the security tape. "We got the guy who dumped the car. It is dark, but you can clearly see him take the baby seat from the back of the car and walk out of the camera's range."

"Where did he go?" Elliot asked.

"We're guessing that he had another car waiting somewhere."

"So he wasn't after the car at all? He meant to steal Sophie?"

"It looks that way," Fin said. "Good news is that the car was stolen from New York."

"How exactly is that good?" Munch asked.

"There is a good chance the baby never left the city," Cragen added.

"We'll find her, Liv."

"I hope so," she whispered kissing Isabella.

"We sent a copy of the tape to have it analyzed to see if we can get any leads from it. And I have officers all over that mall looking for anyone who may have seen Sophie."

"My poor baby," Olivia said softly. "It has been four days. And she is all alone and scared. If she is even alive."

"I don't think someone would have taken her if they were going to kill her," Munch said. "And if this was about ransom, we should have heard from them by now. I think she is alive. And I think the person who took her either wanted a baby or knew someone who wanted one bad enough to pay for her. Hopefully that means they have no intention of hurting her."

"We have got to find this guy and make him tell me what he did with my daughter," Elliot said studying the dark image of the man on the screen.

Elliot ordered some take out and sat down with Olivia to make sure she actually ate something. Isabella sat propped against daddy's knee with a bottle in her little mouth as Elliot cooed and talked to her.

Olivia watched him with the baby girl. He had always been the stronger of the two of them. Maybe it was the fact that he had been married for years and was the father of seven children. Or that he was three and a half years older than her. She wasn't exactly sure, but so many times, including this one, Elliot was the one who pulled her through.

"How is your salad?" he asked smiling over at her as he adjusted the bottle for the baby.

"Good," she said softly, smiling at her daughter. "Hi sweetheart," she said as the baby girl stared at her and smiled.

"I think she's finished. She is just playing now."

Elliot held her against his shoulder and burped her as Olivia stirred her fork around in her food.

"I miss her so much," she said softly.

"I know, honey. We all do," he said kissing the top of Isabella's head. "But we are not giving up on her."

Elliot reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Olivia forced a smile as she fought back tears and nodded to him.

"Elliot, we've got something," Fin said as he pushed the door open.

Elliot stood cradling Isabella in his arms.

"We're not sure yet, but we got a call from a hospital in New Jersey. A woman brought in a baby, said it she wouldn't stop crying and she doesn't know what is wrong with her. One of the nurses recognized little Sophie's description from one of our fliers. Cops are holding the woman and baby until we get there. I can't be sure until we see her, but we may have just found Sophie."

"Lets go," Elliot said as Olivia wrapped Isabella in a blanket and grabbed the diaper bag.

"Cragen said you have to stay back until we can identify her for certain."

"Whatever," Elliot agreed as he escorted Olivia and the baby to the car.

Olivia buckled Isabella into her new car seat and strapped it into the car as the little girl looked around at all of the grown ups hurrying around her.

"Here baby," Olivia whispered as she slipped the pacifier into Izzy's mouth. "Let's go get sissy back."

Isabella grunted and looked up at her mother.

An hour and a half later they pulled into the parking lot of a hospital in a small New Jersey town. Fin parked the car and held the door open for Olivia as she pulled the baby from the back seat. By now Isabella was sleeping like a little angel in her seat as they entered the hospital.

Munch walked over to the front desk and flashed his badge as he talked to the woman for a few moments.

"Fourth floor, children's unit," he said as they headed for the elevator.

When they reached the fourth floor they walked down the hall to two large metal doors.

"They have to let us back there. You guys wait here," Fin said pointing to the waiting area. "I will let you know as soon as I know something."

Elliot carried Isabella into the waiting room and Olivia watched as Munch and Fin walked through the two big doors. In the distance she could hear a baby crying.

"Sophie," she said running to the end of the hall and pushing her way through the doors just before they closed.

Two doctors grabbed her to stop her before she could get down the hallway.

"Ma'am, you can't be back here. You are going to have to wait in the waiting area."

"That is my daughter!" she shouted as she pointed down the hall and she broke into tears. "Please, just tell me if she is okay."

"You are going to have to wait out there," one of the men said as they pushed her toward the double doors once more.

"Get your hands off her!" Fin snapped as he stepped around the corner. "You always treat women that way?"

"Sir, she was trying to gain unauthorized entry."

"Unauthorized? She is with me," he said flashing his badge and pulling Olivia free of the men. "And she may be the mother of that child."

"It's her, Fin. I know it is. I know my own baby's cries. I would recognize them anywhere."

Fin looked up to see Elliot standing on the other side of the door holding Isabella's carrier.

"Let him in," he said to the woman behind the desk. "You owe me big time," he said looking back at Olivia as she smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Wait a minute," a woman said from the end of the hall. "Do they have some way to prove that this baby is theirs?"

"You saw the picture, lady!" Munch said. "Is that the baby you have here or not?"

"A lot of babies look alike at this age."

"Sophie, our daughter," Elliot began, "she looks just like her sister." He held up the baby carrier and moved back the blanket for the woman to get a look at Isabella. "They are identical twins."

"My lord, that could be the same baby," the woman said raising her hand to her mouth.

"It is Sophie," Olivia said looking at her.

"She's back here," the woman said as she lead them down the hall to the room where the screaming baby was being cared for.

"What is wrong with that child?" a doctor asked as he walked in behind them.

"We have run tox screens and she is clean. She has been checked out physically and seems fine, we are not sure why she is crying," the woman said bouncing the baby gently trying to sooth her.

"She has colic," Olivia said. "Elliot is the only one who can calm her down."

The nurse looked at the doctor.

"Well, hand him his daughter," he said looking back at her.

"Okay," she said handing Sophie off to Elliot.

"Hey, baby girl," Elliot said softly kissing his daughter. "It is okay now, daddy's here. You're safe, now. Mommy and daddy and Izzy missed you so much."

Sophie calmed almost immediately, merely whimpering as she looked up at him.

"I know honey," Elliot cooed to the infant as if she were speaking to him. "Here's mommy," he said as Olivia inspected her daughter.

"Hi sweetheart," Olivia whispered as she kissed the baby's forehead. "It's okay, mommy and daddy are here now. And we are going to take you back home with us, baby," she said as tears streamed down her face. "What is the IV for?" she asked looking over at the nurse.

"She is a little dehydrated and we are having trouble getting her to take a bottle. We needed to get fluids into her."

"She is used to being nursed. She doesn't do well with formula."

"You're still nursing?"

"Yes."

"Why don't we find you a nice quiet place and see if she will nurse? We have to get some fluids into her before we can discharge her. I would like to keep her at least over night, just to make sure everything is alright. If you can get her to eat well, she can probably go home tomorrow afternoon."

"That would be wonderful," Olivia said kissing Sophie once more.

"Now if everyone could step out and give mommy and baby a little alone time…."

"We have to go talk to the woman who brought her in. I'm glad Sophie is safe back in her mommy's arms," Fin said as he and Munch stepped out of the room.

The nurse pulled a rocking chair over near the baby crib so Olivia could sit down and nurse her daughter.

"I can bring in another bed for the other baby if you'd like. I assume you guys will be staying here with her?"

"Yes, we will be staying," Elliot said.

"But if it is alright, they usually sleep in the same crib," Olivia added.

"I think we can work something out," the woman said closing the blinds on the windows to give them some privacy. "I'm gonna close the door, if you guys need anything I will be just down the hall. I will come back in a little while to check on you."

"Thank you," Olivia said smiling down at her little girl.

Elliot watched as Olivia settled in the chair and began to nurse Sophie.

"There baby, mommy missed you so much. So did daddy and Izzy. And we never not stopped looking for you. We were all so worried. Uncle Fin and Uncle Munch and all of the police officers in the city were looking for you. Everyone was trying to find you to bring you home to mommy and daddy."

Sophie stared up at her mother and grunted as she nursed.

"Are you guys okay here for a few minutes? I want to go out and check on Munch and Fin."

"Elliot, we got our baby back. Maybe we should just let them handle the legal stuff. This is what is important," she said kissing the top of Sophie's head.

Elliot knelt beside her and kissed his little girl.

"I have to know, Olivia. I have to know why they took our baby. Isabella is still asleep and I will be back in few minutes."

"El, I just don't want you to get into trouble."

"I'll behave. I promise," he replied kissing her forehead. "I'm just going to go and see what Munch and Fin found out. I will be right back."

"Okay, we will be here."

Elliot checked on Isabella and headed down the hall to see what was going on. He caught Munch in the hallway to find out what was going on.

"Is that the woman who brought Sophie in?" Elliot asked looking at the woman through the waiting room window.

"Yeah."

"How did she get her?"

"Her daughter was pregnant. She lived the city and hadn't seen her mother in months. She had the baby and then showed up needing a place to stay. She said she noticed something was up when the baby cried all of the time. Sophie wouldn't take a bottle and was losing weight. She suggested they take the baby to the doctor, but her daughter wouldn't do it. She said she was shopping in a supermarket when she saw the poster in the window and recognized Sophie. She waited for her daughter to fall asleep, then she took the baby and came here. The intake nurse said Sophie was screaming when she walked in. She told the nurse that she thought Sophie was the kidnapped baby from the poster. The doctors took her and checked her out. She was hungry, but they said she was alright."

"Have they picked the daughter up?"

"Yeah, Fin and I are going to go to the local station and have a little chat with her."

"I'd better get back to Olivia and the girls. I just wanted to find out what the story was."

"Well, the daughter's husband in in the Army and he is set to come home tomorrow. My guess is she miscarried or something and kept it a secret. She needed a baby and she saw Olivia shopping with the girls. She followed her and waited for the right moment to take one of them."

"But the security tape showed a man with the baby carrier."

"The tape was dark and hard to see. Even after they cleaned it up it was hard to tell who we were looking at."

"You could see a moustache."

"She probably wore a disguise. Which means the kidnapping was premeditated. Maybe not Sophie in particular, but I think she knew before hand she intended on taking a baby. Olivia had two. That made her a target. I had one of the other officers go back and looked over Olivia's statement from the day Sophie disappeared. Then I had them pull security tapes from all of the stores she visited with the babies that day. I am betting we see that man in at least a few of them."

"She followed her and waited for the right moment, then made her move."

"You go in there and take care of your girls. Fin and I are gonna head back to Manhattan and get to work on this. I will call you as soon as we get something."

"Thank you."

Elliot headed back down the hall to the room where Olivia sat rocking Sophie in her arms.

"How's it going?" he whispered as he watched the baby asleep in her mother's arms.

"She ate really good. And she just cooed and stared up at me. I hugged her and kissed her and rocked her until she fell asleep. The nurse brought in some blankets and pillows. She said those chairs both pull out into beds. And she took out Sophie's IV so that we can put the girls in the bed together. I wanted to wait so that you could hold her again before I put her to bed."

Elliot slipped little Sophie from Olivia's arms. He held her against his chest and rocked gently with her as he thanked God for protecting their little girl and bring her safely back to them.

Sophie stirred a little before nestling her little forehead in against the curve of her daddy's neck like she always did. Olivia watched as tears filled Elliot's eyes.

"Everything is going to be okay now, daddy. She is safe and she is home."

"God, we could have lost her, Liv. There was a very good chance that we never would have seen one of our babies again. We came so close."

Olivia stood beside him and traced her finger across the baby's thin dark hair. She leaned forward and kissed little Sophie once more.

"We should get them both into bed soon. It has been a really long day," she whispered. "I'm gonna change Izzy and feed her. Then we can put them in the crib together."

"I bet Izzy will be glad Sophie is back."

"I know she missed her, too. She woke up all through the night looking for her. This is the longest they have ever been apart, four days."

"Four very long days," Elliot added.

Olivia changed Isabella's diaper and nursed her for a few minutes, before finishing up with the bottle. She pulled the baby blanket from the carrier and tucked it around the twins as they placed them into the bed together. She and Elliot knelt beside the crib and watched as their babies curled up together for the night, just like they did at home.

"We got so lucky," Olivia said softly. "A thousand horrible things could have happened to her, but they didn't."

"They actually took really good care of her. With the exception of being dehydrated and having lost a little weight, she the doctor said she is in perfect health."

"If she hadn't cried so much, that woman probably would have never thought to take her in to the hospital to have her checked out. And her daughter would have gotten away with it."

"I never thought I would be so happy to have a baby with colic," Elliot said only half joking.

"She wanted her daddy."

Elliot helped Olivia fold out the two chairs and make them up into beds. He turned out the overhead light and opened the blinds a little to allow some moonlight into the room. Before long they had settled in for the night as well.

"How are you doing over there?" Elliot asked completely exhausted, but suddenly finding it hard to sleep.

"Alright," she said with a yawn. "Just thinking how nice it will be to sleep in our own beds again."

"Yeah, if you had asked me this morning, I would have never thought that we would be spending the night tonight in a hospital room in New Jersey with both of our babies."

"I'm just ready to get back to our own lives. And the kids will all be glad to see Sophie again."

"Yeah, they were all so happy when I called to tell them that she was alright and back with us. Elizabeth wants to throw her a welcome home party."

Olivia laughed.

"That is so sweet. They are such good kids, all of them."

"They have their moments."

"And their father's charm," she said with a smile.

"That too," he agreed. "I am supposed to have the kids this weekend, but Kathy said she wouldn't mind switching if we needed some time to unwind with the girls. It might be nice to have a little alone time as a family."

"Elliot, the other kids are family, too. I understand what you are trying to say. But I think maybe it would be better just to go back to our regular lives. We still have tomorrow alone with the girls and it will be good to have all of the kids together again. I miss them. Especially after all of this, it really makes me realize just how blessed we really are."

"You're right."

"Why don't we plan something special for this weekend?"

"Like what? A trip?"

"Not necessarily a trip, just a whole weekend of family time. Like plan a movie night and let the kids pick out their favorite movies and we can all sit around and watch them together. We can buy some snacks, make Smores in the fireplace and have a game day on Sunday."

"That sounds like a great idea, Liv. I will have to talk to Maureen and make sure she can stay the entire weekend."

"And no work!"

"No work, got it."

"I mean it, El. All family, all weekend. We need this. And the kids need this. No calls or any work related stuff at all."

"Okay, deal. I will talk to Cragen and tell him we are having a private weekend with our kids. I'll even turn off my cell phone."

"Really?" she asked with a smile.

"Absolutely. Neither of us is on call, so there shouldn't be anything they need to tell us that cant wait until Monday when I come back in to work."

"You are such a good father," Olivia said as she fluffed her pillow.

"You are an amazing mother. And we make one hell of a team, you and I."

Olivia smiled.

"You really think so?"

"I do. But not just at work. We work really well together as a family, too."

"We do, don't we? We have a pretty amazing family. You and me and all seven kids."

"A big family," Elliot added as he stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm glad the girls have a big family. When I grew up I didn't have anyone. I was an only child and my mother wasn't around much. You don't know how many times I wished I had a bunch of brothers and sisters."

"You wanted to be part of the Brady Bunch?" Elliot joked.

"No," she said with a smile raising up to look at him, "I was leaning more toward The Partridge Family," she said with a smile.

Elliot laughed.

"What? I'm serious! When I was about thirteen I wanted to run away and join up with the Partridge Family. I wanted Shirley Jones to be my mother. She always seemed so cool on television. And I figured she already had five kids, what was one more?"

Elliot laughed again.

"Plus, they got to travel around and sing in a band. Of course I was in love with David Cassidy, so I guess that would have been a bit odd."

"Well, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you," he said with a smile.

"Ehh, I'm not. If I had run away with them, I never would have met you and I wouldn't have my best friend or my two beautiful daughters. I guess God really does have a plan for all of us. He just doesn't always tell us right away what that plan is. Sometimes we just have to trust through the bad times that there is good yet to come. If I hadn't been through all that I went through growing up, I never would have become a cop. And I never would have met you."

"And think of all of the people you have helped, Olivia. The rest of us, we do the job and we care about the victims. But you are the heart of the group. You can relate to victims in ways that the rest of us just can't. You are an amazing detective, but you are also a remarkable human being and _that_ is what makes you so good at everything you do."

"That is really a sweet thing to say, El."

"Every word was true. You are the kindest and most caring person I have ever met. And I am proud to have you as my best friend and my partner."

"That is probably good," she said laying back down and nestling her face against her pillow, "because now that we have kids together, you are stuck with me in your life for at _least_ another eighteen years."

"I think I can handle that."

"Oh, you do, huh?"

"I do," he said with a smile. "Good night, Olivia."

"Night El," she said softly as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	11. 11 Taking Chances

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Eleven: Taking Chances)_

_**Two Weeks Later…. **_

Olivia sat at a small table in a little café as she waited for her mother to arrive for their first lunch date. The truth was she hoped as much as Serena did that they would be able to reconcile at least enough to hold a mediocre mother-daughter relationship and give her children the chance to know their grandmother. Olivia never knew her father and Elliot's parents had been head for years now, so Serena was the only grandparent the girls would ever have.

She drew a deep breath and sighed as she poured more creamer into her coffee cup. She picked up the spoon from the table and stirred the strong liquid as she stared out the window. Moments later a taxi pulled up in front of the building and Serena Benson climbed out.

Olivia smiled, relieved that she did infact show up. As much as she wanted to believe in her mother's ability to recover, part of her had gotten so used to being let down by Serena, that she was half sure she would be stood up.

"Sweetheart," Serena said as Olivia stood to hug her. "I am so glad that you called."

"I'm glad you came," Olivia said with a smile.

"How are you, darling? And how are grandma's girls?"

"I'm good. Now that Sophie is home and things are getting back to normal. They are doing well."

"Getting big, I'll bet?"

"Yes," Olivia laughed pulling a new picture from her wallet, "they are about nine each pounds now. Smiling and cooing."

"Where are they now?"

"Umm, with the new nanny."

"A nanny?"

"It seemed like a better option than daycare. I am just uneasy about leaving them with a dozen other babies and one or two staff to watch them. This is only a trial arrangement for now, to see how it works out. But if things go well, _Amber_, the nanny, will come to the house to watch the girls. I think it will be better for them to remain in their own home, sleeping in their own beds. At least until they are a little older. And it will be really nice not to have to worry about dragging them out in the winter when the weather is all cold and rainy."

"It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this."

"I have…._we_ have."

"You are with their father?"

"Kind of. We are really good friends and we have been close for a long time. We had intended on possibly starting dating, then all of this happened. Lately we have just been trying to get our lives back."

"But you live together?"

"We got a place together, so that we could both be there for the girls. We have separate bedrooms of course. He has children with his ex-wife and he has them on the weekends and it is nice. Like a big family. The other kids help out with the babies and so far, everyone has gotten along great. He is a remarkable father and he is amazing with the babies."

"That's great. Do you think there is a future for the two of you?"

"I know that Elliot will always be a big part of my life. We will always be best friends and their parents. As for a romantic relationship, I'm not really sure yet. There is chemistry between us, but we have not really had time to start a romantic relationship. Right now we are just trying to get things back to normal for the kids."

"He sounds wonderful."

"He is," Olivia said smiling at the thought of him.

"You really like this guy?"

"I do, mom. More than any man I have ever met in my entire life."

"There wasn't a relationship before, when you got pregnant?"

"Not exactly," Olivia said hesitant to share the details of her sexy evening with Elliot with the almost stranger in front of her. "Briefly, I guess."

"Long enough to get pregnant?"

"One night. We weren't dating. He was separated from his wife and it just kind of happened. When he found out Kathy was pregnant, he decided to give things one more try."

"His wife was pregnant also?"

Olivia smiled.

"Yes, their son, Eli was born not long before I had the girls."

"Three babies?"

"Three babies, two girls in college and a set of teenage twins."

"Two sets of twins?"

"Yeah, but they are fraternal, brother and sister. Sophie and Isabella are identical."

"It's good though," Serena said, "that they have brothers and sisters. I often wished that I had another child, that you'd had a sibling."

"Yeah mom, so did I."

"I know I hurt you. And you will never fully know how truly sorry I am for that. But I love you darling, I always have. I was weak. I was weak and I was sick and the drink was the only thing that seemed to ease my pain."

"And it didn't really matter that it was the cause of mine?"

Serena closed her eyes and things were quiet for a moment.

"I was wrong. I put myself before you so many times. And I never really was a good mother. But you, you are a wonderful mother to your little girls. Those babies come first for you, before everything else. That is the way it should be for every parent. That is the way things should have been for you when you were a child. I know it wasn't easy for you and I have regretted the choices I have made all of my life."

Olivia wiped a tear from her eye.

"You regret the choices you made," she repeated.

"All but one of them," Serena said slipping her hand over Olivia's. "Baby, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Oh, I wish that the circumstances could have been different….that I could have had you with a man that I loved and given you a father…a family. But I have never for a second regretted my decision to have you and to keep you. You are the love of my life, Olivia Grace. The way that you feel about your baby girls, that remarkable love that fills your heart that was never there until you felt those babies moving in womb, that is the same love I hold for you. You are my baby, my little girl all grown up. I don't regret having you or keeping you. I regret not being a good mother to you and not being there for you, not telling you more often how much I love you and allowing us to lose touch the way we have. I wasn't a good mother Olivia, but I am so proud of the strong woman you have grown into and the wonderful mother you have become. I love you and I am proud of you."

Olivia stared at her mother with tears in her eyes.

"I love you too, mom."

Olivia sighed and wiped her eyes.

"Oh," she said softly, "I should call and check on the girls. We are still kind of on a trial with the new nanny and….I just get really nervous leaving them."

Serena smiled."

"I'm just gonna step outside," Olivia said standing from the table.

"If you know what you want, I could go ahead and order."

"Yeah, umm, the cob salad with no egg and fat free ranch dressing on the side. Can you also ask them for an iced tea?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, mom. I'll only be a minute."

Serena flagged down the waitress as Olivia stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of the café to call and check on the girls. Olivia had no more hung up the phone from talking to the new nanny when her phone rang again.

"Elliot?" she said as she answered the call. "El?"

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Okay, is everything alright with you?"

"Yes. I just called the nanny to check on the girls and I wanted to call and check to see how things are going with you and your lunch date with your mother."

"You checked on Sophie and Isabella?"

"About ten minutes ago. And Amber said they are just fine."

"Taking a nap," she laughed. "I just got off the phone with her."

"She seems pretty good."

"Elliot, I have only been gone two hours."

"Right. Well, you take your time and enjoy your afternoon. I am sure everything is fine back home."

"You're nervous, too?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am. Maybe it's just because we came so close to losing Sophie before…."

"Elliot, the agency performs a background check on all of their nannies. And…."

"And?"

Olivia paused for a moment before she continued.

"Cragen ran her prints and pulled her jacket. She is squeaky clean."

Elliot smiled and laughed.

"Cragen did?"

"Yes. He asked me not to mention it, he was afraid you would be angry. But he knew I was a little weary, so I guess he thought it would make me feel better."

"Did it?"

"Of course. And the guys know that she is there alone with the girls, so you know half the department is circling the house waiting to pounce on this girl if she so much as sets foot out the front door with the girls."

"I know, I like it that way."

Olivia laughed.

"It is a little comforting, huh?"

"Listen, you have fun with your mother. I have a few errands to run, then I'm going to drop by the house for lunch."

"You don't go home for lunch."

"I do today. I want to just drop by unannounced and catch her off guard. I can't help but be nervous, it is really the first time we have left them and they aren't really big enough to tell us if something is going on. I just want to see her with them. She's gonna have to earn our trust, Liv."

"Call me, okay? Call me or text me or something and let me know what you find. We just ordered lunch and I think she's wanting to do a little shopping when we finish up here. I'll probably be a couple more hours."

"Take your time and enjoy your afternoon. I will call you later."

"Okay. Elliot…."

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome," he said smiling as he hung up the phone.

"Everything alright?" Serena asked as Olivia returned to the table.

"Everything is great."

"Oh, good."

"Elliot called to check on the girls just before I did," she said with a smile.

"He's worried?"

"No. Just protective. I love that he is like this with them."

"It is sweet."

"He wants to drop by the house unannounced for his lunch break and see what's going on with the nanny and the girls."

"He sounds like he's a good father."

"He is an amazing father. I couldn't have chosen anyone better."

Serena smiled across the table in approval as the waitress sat their plates down in front of them. After lunch Serena insisted they visit a children's boutique so that she could load Olivia up with gifts for her granddaughters. They shopped for over an hour picking out half a dozen outfits and toys for the babies.

Serena walked Olivia back to her car and helped her load up the baby items.

"I really hope to see you again soon," she said watching as a smile spread across her daughter's face.

"So do I," Olivia agreed.

"You already know that I really want to meet the girls. I won't ask when, I trust you will let me know when you are ready and it is okay for me to see them."

"I think maybe you and I should spend a little more time together."

"I agree. I really want to get to know you again, to earn your trust again. I know I wasn't there for you before, but I am here now. And I am going to be from now on. I promise you that."

"Mom…."

"I know my promises have not meant much in the past. I didn't care much for the value of my word. But I really have changed baby and I thank you for giving me the chance to prove it to you."

"It was good to see you again. I should get home to my girls."

"Give them kisses for me. Tell Sophie and Isabella that grandma loves them both very much and I cannot wait to finally get to hold them."

"I will," Olivia said with a smile.

"Liv honey wait," Serena said as she opened her purse.

Olivia watched as she pulled out a small jewelry box.

"What is this?" she asked softly.

"Open it."

Olivia nodded her head as she raised the lid on the box/

"It's beautiful," she said as her eyes widened to stare at the object.

Inside the box was a little gold band with tiny ruby stones all the way around it. Olivia smiled as it sparkled up at her. She pulled the little ring from the box to inspect it.

"It's a baby ring. I got one for each of the girls," Serena said pulling the second jewelry box from her purse. "fourteen karat gold with ruby stones. Ruby is their birth stone, July, right?"

"July twenty third," Olivia answered.

"Their names are engraved inside. They don't already have baby rings, do they?"

"No. Mom, this is so sweet. I think I'm gonna cry."

"Don't cry. Just give these to my precious granddaughters. And cherish these moments mommy, they grow up so fast."

Olivia hugged her mother and Serena kissed her cheek.

"I love you. I have always loved you," Serena said staring into her daughter's dark eyes. "I have just never been good at showing it."

"I love you too, mom."

"Call me, I would like to set up another lunch date or something."

"I will, I promise."

Olivia waved as Serena climbed into a taxi and disappeared into the busy streets of the city. She climbed into her car and headed home.

That evening Elliot cooked dinner and they put the babies to bed a little early. They sat across from each other at the dinner table discussing the days events.

"So everything went well?" he asked.

"It went great. We are supposed to get together again soon for another lunch date."

"That sounds promising."

"We have a lot of issues to work through."

"But you think things are going to work out?"

"I hope so. We're off to a pretty good start and she is beginning to restore my faith in her. The faith she destroyed all those years ago. I am trying to see past all of the horrible things she has done in the past and focus on the few good moments we have shared in the present."

"Not as easy as it sounds, huh?"

"No. I am never going to completely forget the past, it is part of what made me who I am today. But if I can't put it behind me and move forward, I will never be able to share any kind of relationship with my mother. As badly as she hurt me, I have to be the one to suck it up and rise above the pain. I have to forgive her, even though it still hurts. It isn't only about me anymore, it's about them now. About the life I provide for my children and if I don't at least give this a chance, they will never know any of their grandparents. I know what it is like to grow up without family and I want more than that for Sophie and Isabella. I want them to have a family and I want them to know what it is like to grow up surrounded by people who love them."

"They will have that, I promise. I think it is a very brave thing you are doing. I know how hard this is for you and I am glad it is going so well. Have you decided yet when you want her to meet the girls?"

"I'm not sure. I need a little more time. I need to be able to trust her again and know for sure that she isn't going to just fall off the wagon or disappear from our lives again. Things are really great right now and I will admit, it feels so good to have my mother in my life again. I just need to be able to be sure."

"That makes sense."

"I am supposed to call her in a few days to set up another mother-daughter lunch date. And I'll have to admit I am a little bit excited about it."

"Good," Elliot said with a smile.

"What about you? How was your day?"

"Fine. Busy, but good."

"What did you think about Amber?"

"I thought she was great. She seemed really good with the girls, gentle and caring. And they really seemed to like her."

"Good. So do I."

"So, it's decided then? We want to keep Amber?"

"I would love to keep Amber. I like the idea of having one person taking care of the kids, instead of what ever random person happens to be at the daycare."

"Alright, I will call the agency tomorrow and let them know we would like to hire Amber full time."

"Did you see the little rings she got them?"

"The nanny?"

"No," Olivia laughed as she handed him one of the ring boxes, "my mother."

"That's pretty. But what do you do with it? A baby can't wear a ring, they will swallow them."

"I'm going to put them on a chain and wear them until the girls are older. Then I'll get another chain and let the girls wear them. A gift from their grandma. They are real gold with their birthstone and they have their names engraved inside."

"That was a really thoughtful gift."

"I thought so, too. I mean it was nice of her to buy them all of the clothes and toys, but the rings are something they can keep forever. And maybe someday our grandchildren will be wearing these."

Elliot smiled and kissed her forehead as he carried the dinner dishes to the kitchen.

"I don't want to think about grandchildren just yet. I would like for our babies to stay babies for at least a little while longer."

Olivia smiled.

"I'm with you on that."


	12. 12 Mending The Past

_One Night Stand_

_(Chapter Twelve: Mending The Past)_

It had been a few months since they had moved into the new house. While Elliot was speaking to real estate agents about a new apartment they came across a house for sale that just happened to be perfect. The new house in the suburbs had plenty of space for the entire family and it a large fenced in back yard for the kids to play in.

Elliot and Olivia still slept in separate bedrooms just down the hall from one another. Things had been going really well with the girls and the nanny situation. Olivia had gone back to work and they had even managed to slip off and have a romantic first dinner alone together.

Elliot watched as Olivia buckled the girls into their seats. She smiled and cooed at her daughters as they kicked and smiled back at her.

"Okay, mommy needs to pack some extra diapers and wipes. Yes, I do."

Isabella looked at Olivia and laughed.

"So you decided to have lunch with your mother after all?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah. I have been having lunch with my mother for a couple of months now and I think she has made a lot of progress. They are almost seven months old, I think maybe now would be a good time to bring their grandmother into their lives."

"I agree."

"You do? You don't think it's too soon?"

"Liv, I trust your judgment. I know that you would never bring her or anyone for that matter, around the girls unless you were completely sure that they were going to be a good influence in their lives."

"You should come with us. I would like for you to meet her, too."

"Someday, I promise. But I think maybe this lunch should be about her and the girls. But I am only a phone call away if you need me."

Olivia smiled.

"You are always so supportive about everything I do."

"We're a team. I think it is important to support each other in the decisions we make for our kids. You're always supportive of me."

"I try to be," Olivia said with a smile. "You have a lot more experience at this parenting thing that I do. So it is easier for me to trust in the things you do, because you know what you are doing," she laughed.

"I know you are a good mother and I know you only want what is best for our children. I know how much you love them and all that you would do to protect them. I know, because I am a parent too. And that is all I need to know."

"Well, are you sure you don't want to go with us, daddy? It's not just lunch, you know? After we eat we are going to the zoo with grandma."

"Sounds like fun. But I really think this time would be better for you and the girls to spend the time with her. I thought maybe, if this goes well today at lunch we could plan a family barbeque for a weekend we have all of the kids. And we could invite your mother so that she can meet the entire family."

Olivia smiled.

"That sounds nice."

"The weather is getting warmer and it will be nice to have a family get together and take advantage of the new back yard. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea. Can you help me put the girls in the car?"

"Yeah," he said picking up Isabella's car seat and following her to the car. "You girls be good and have fun with mommy and your grandma," he said kissing each of his daughters goodbye.

Olivia smiled as she watched him with them.

"Do you need the big stroller?"

"No, I have two umbrella strollers. I think that will be okay."

"Alright. Have fun and call me if you need me," he said placing a soft kiss against her lips. "I will. I'm sure we will be fine."

"Maybe tonight when all of this winds down we can put the girls to bed a little early and have a nice dinner alone together."

"That sounds amazing."

"I will even cook. Maybe grill us some steaks and open a bottle of wine."

Olivia smiled.

"I can't wait," she said softly kissing him as she climbed into the car.

Half an hour later Olivia pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant where she was supposed to meet her mother. She unbuckled the girls seats and carried them inside.

"I have a reservation for Benson," she told the hostess as the woman showed her to their table.

To her surprise, Serena was already there.

"Darling hi," Serena said standing to greet her daughter with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey."

"Ma'am, will you be needing a high chair?" the hostess asked.

"Umm, yes. Two please," Olivia said sitting one of the car seats in a chair as Serena pulled back the receiving blanket covering it to catch her first glimpse at her granddaughter.

"Look at you," she cooed looking down at the baby girl. "Absolutely beautiful. And you look just like your mommy when she was a baby. Yes, you do. And who is this?" she asked as the baby smiled at her.

"Sophie," Olivia said as she uncovered Isabella. "And this is Isabella."

"I don't know how you tell them apart."

"I'm their mother, that's my job. Well, one of them anyway."

"Can I hold her?" Serena asked looking at one of the babies.

"Sure. Luckily we all took a good nap this morning and we are in a great mood today," Olivia said picking up Isabella and handing her off to her grandma. "Here you go Izzy. Sit with grandma."

The baby smiled and cooed.

"I think she likes me."

"Of course she does."

"How are they doing?"

"Really good. They just had their six month check up and they are right on track."

Serena watched as the waitress sat two wooden high chairs beside their table.

"They sit okay in those? They look like they are for bigger babies."

"There is a trick," Olivia said flipping the chairs upside down and setting the girls seats between the bars on the bottom.

"That's clever."

"Elliot showed me that one. And it's a godsend. There is hardly a restaurant in the city that has enough room for two car seats at a table, let alone three."

"What do the other kids think of these little angels?"

"They love them. All of the kids get along great."

"And how are things with you and daddy?"

"Elliot, mom. His name is Elliot," Olivia replied squeezing a slice of lemon into her glass of water.

"How are things with you and Elliot?" she asked again.

"Good," Olivia replied picking Sophie up and holding her in her lap. "We have gone on a couple of dates, but we are taking things slow."

"Slow?"

"Yes. Slow. Our main focus is on the kids and making this extended family thing work for everyone involved. Romance and relationships are the last thing on my mind right now."

"Olivia, there is nothing wrong with dating the father of your children. If you are interested and he is interested, it is healthy for the two of you to have a little grown up time alone together."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Just for God sake darling, make sure you use some kind of birth control. I think the last thing you need right now is another pregnancy. Not that I don't adore the beautiful grandbabies you have given me."

Olivia laughed.

"Trust me, I am in no way ready for another pregnancy. I have my hands full with these two. And should I ever decide to have another child I fully intend to plan the next pregnancy. But with seven children it is more than difficult to find a moment alone together. We have the other kids every other weekend and once school is out we will have them two days during the week as well."

Olivia tipped her head noticing the rain beginning to fall outside.

"It's raining," she sighed.

"Looks like we might have to postpone the zoo for another day," Serena replied. "Maybe this time Elliot could join us."

She watched as a smile crossed Olivia's face at the mere mention of his name.

"You sound happy," Serena said still studying Olivia.

"I am. I am very happy. I finally have my family," she replied before the realized what she had said. "I….I…." she stuttered for a moment trying to think of a save.

Serena exhaled.

"I guess I deserve that. I know that things were never easy for you. And I suppose it would have been better for you to have had more of a family structure growing up. But I messed things up so badly with you I would have to think that having a second child would have just made matters worse."

"I don't want to fight, mom. I know things between you and I have always been very different than with most mothers and their daughters….and they always will be. I didn't mean it to hurt you and I guess I didn't think about the way that sounded before I said it. I merely meant that I am glad that my children have both their mother and father in their lives. I know how hard it is for a child to grow up without a father. I think of how things could have been different….better…. for you and for me, if circumstances had been different and I'd had a father there when I was growing up….if we'd had more of a family."

"Every day of your life I wished circumstances could have been different. I did what I could with what I had. I am not going to pretend that I was ever the best mother to you. I know there were so many times that you needed me and I wasn't there for you. But there has not been a single moment that I did not love you. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, Olivia. And the biggest of all is not telling my beautiful daughter every single day how much I love her. The alcohol was a sickness. It crept in and sort of took over. It made things better for a while…..or so it seemed. But I have been sober for a long time now, I want to fix the things that have been broken between us for so long and I want to make a fresh start with you….for you and for these precious little girls."

"I know you do, mom. I do, too. I know how hard this must have been on you, to kick an addiction you have had most of your adult life. I know it isn't easy."

"It isn't easy," Serena said reaching forward to take Olivia's hand in hers, "but definitely worth it." She paused for a moment as she looked the twins over once more. "I am so proud of you baby. I know I have never really told you that. Everything you have set out to do, you have accomplished. Your school and career and family. You are such a good mother."

"I try to be. They are my world. I couldn't imagine my life without them in it."

Serena smiled a warm smile as she kissed Isabella's forehead and handed her back to Olivia.

"I'd really like to see more of you. All of you," she said as Olivia buckled the baby girl back into her seat.

Olivia stood for a moment studying her two sleeping infants then smiled back at her mother.

"What about lunch sometime?"

"Lunch seems to work well," Serena said with a nod.

"No, I mean lunch at the house. With the girls and Elliot and I."

"I'd love to meet him."

"I'll have to talk to him first, of course. But I think it would be good for the two of you to finally meet each other."

"I think you're right. If you think it's a good time."

"Well, I know it has taken a little while, but you and I seem to be doing really well at mending our relationship. You are still sober and have now met the girls. I think that meeting Elliot is the logical next step. I know that our rocky past will always be there, but that is all behind us now. I am trying….I want us to try, to build a better and more stable future together. You are my mother and I guess I kind of like having you around again. I know it is good for the girls to have their grandma in their lives and I think that you will really love Elliot."

"He takes very good care of all of my girls, I like him already."

Olivia smiled.

"He is a good father."

"And husband?" Serena asked raising an eyebrow as she looked back at the sleeping babies.

Olivia smiled.

"Ahh, so you have at least thought about it?"

"Of course I have, mother. He is their father and my best friend and I have been more than a little bit in love with him for years. But we are finally starting to get our lives back on track. Things between he and I are great where they are. We are close and we are raising our daughters together. I don't think that we should try to rush into anything and end up complicating things with feelings and emotions that we may not be ready for. If it happens, it happens. And I am sure it would be wonderful."

Serena smiled.

"This is the father of your children we are talking about dear. It is only natural for you to have some kind of romantic feelings toward him. He cares about you and he's a good friend, a wonderful father…..attractive?"

"Very," Olivia gushed with a smile before she realized it.

"Then there would have to be something wrong with the man if he didn't fall in love with my beautiful daughter."

"Mom! Let me worry about my love life, okay?" Olivia replied laughing off the little fantasy in the back of her mind.

"Okay. I just thought that maybe you could use a little push. But I see you have got everything under control."

"Yes, I do."

"Alright," Serena said standing to help Olivia carry car seats from the restaurant.

"I'll talk things over with El and I'll get back with you. I really want you to meet him."

"I love you, darling," Serena said hugging her daughter tight.

"I love you too, mom."

Serena stared into the backseat for a moment before kissing each baby on her little forehead.

"And grandma loves you too, my little angels. You be good girls for your mamma."

Olivia smiled as she watched her mother interact with the babies.

"Are we still on for lunch on Thursday?" Olivia asked realizing how attached she had become to their mother, daughter time.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Serena replied waving as she climbed into the back of a taxi cab and disappeared into traffic.


End file.
